


Immortality Bites

by adVENTitiious



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Character Turned Into Vampire, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-14
Updated: 2016-01-05
Packaged: 2018-04-09 09:02:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 82,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4342358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adVENTitiious/pseuds/adVENTitiious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What would have happened if Harry Potter had chosen to keep the part of Voldemort's soul attached to him, remaining immortal, and then both he and Draco Malfoy attended their seventh year of school? This obviously...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I am new here. :) I hope you all enjoy this story!

"Where am I?" Harry mumbled to himself as he looked around, seeing only fog. He couldn't make out his location. There were no physical markers. No sky. No walls. No ground. Nothing but air and fog.

"King's Crossing, Harry."

Harry spun around at the familiar but unexpected voice. His heart jumped into his throat as he looked upon the old wizard, who he had thought for sure he would never see again, smiling warmly at him with twinkling, blue eyes.

"Professor Dumbledore?" His gaze darted again around the area, that suddenly looked a lot like the Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, as his befuddled mind slowly began to piece together his last few memories: him walking into the forest alone, seeing his parents along with Sirius and Remus, standing before Voldemort, and then falling as a green curse filled his vision. "Am I dead?"

"No, this is an in-between, Harry," the old wizard said as he motioned around them with a wave of his left hand, which appeared healthy once more.

"An in-between for what exactly?" the young wizard asked, eyeing a bright, red train curiously that he was certain had not been there a second before, the doors sitting open in an inviting manner. Or perhaps it had been, it looked like it belonged there. He felt a strong urge to board it as if it would take him somewhere. Somewhere he desperately wanted to go. He forced his gaze away and back to the wizard.

Dumbledore smiled at him, a sadness softening the wrinkles around his blue eyes. "A place for meetings and decisions one might say. You see, you are neither truly dead or alive at this very moment. You have been given the choice most never have or ever will. You can board the train you see behind me to move on, or you may choose to go back to the living."

Harry nodded, not able to make sense of the explanation completely but accepting it. He heard an odd noise from behind him and turned around to see a deformed infantile-like creature under the bench nearby them wrapped in a blanket. "What is that?" he asked in a disturbed voice.

"Ah, that, is a piece of the wizard's soul you and I know to be Tom Riddle." The wizard's sharp blue gaze studied it closely for a long moment before refocusing on Harry. "It's the reason why you are here right now. It's protected you many times in your life, as well as just moments ago from the very wizard, who's soul it was split from. You see, by bestowing a part of his soul to you, he unknowingly made you immortal."

"But _why_ is it here?" Harry asked curtly, eyeing it suspiciously.

"It's alive, just like you, even if it is incomplete. It's been attached to you all these years, and if you choose to return - you can take it back with you as well..." The old wizard tilted his head as he paused. "Or you can choose to leave it behind."

Harry looked up at the man who had been his main source of guidance since he was eleven. "Why would I want to do that? Take it back with me, that is?"

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Why indeed." He sat down on the bench slowly, sighing as he settled. He patted the seat beside him, Harry sitting down reluctantly. "You see Harry, if you defeat Tom today, and he were ever to return somehow, you would remain protected with the aid of it. You would be able to fight him again."

Harry frowned as he thought. "Isn't it one of the final horcruxes though? If I leave it, he would be that much closer to being mortal, right? Wasn't that the plan?"

Dumbledore shot him a wry smile. "It was, but one thing I've learned since... passing on, is one can never be certain in anything other than the fact that everything is always uncertain."

Harry's dark eyebrows furrowed. He looked down at the piece of Voldemort's soul and then back up at a patiently waiting Dumbledore. He stood up slowly. "I'll take it back with me then."

The old wizard pushed himself up and smiled tightly, a look akin to guilt dulling his usually bright eyes as he looked down at the determined wizard. He placed a gentle hand on the young man's shoulder. "I should tell you, immortality is a heavy burden to carry alone, Harry. I have seen it weigh too heavily on even the strongest of wizards."

Harry nodded, a determined look alighting his green eyes. "I'll be fine."

* * *

"Harry. Harry, wake up. We're here."

Harry's eyes fluttered open. He sat up slowly, leaning forward to look out through the dark window of the Hogwarts Express for a glimpse of the school in vain. A tight smile pushed up the corners of his mouth. "Too bad Ron didn't come back with us." He looked over to Hermione, the only other occupant of their car.

"Yes, well it's only for a year," she said in a forced, cheerful tone. She shot him an encouraging smile, the expression looking like it could fall at any point.

"Yeah, it's just a year," he agreed, returning the sentiment and dropping the subject. He hadn't meant to bring it up. The witch had been rather broken up when Ron had told them both he was going to do a year of apprentice work under his brother Charlie in Albania instead of joining them for their seventh year at Hogwarts. It just felt odd without him.

He stood up as the train came to a complete stop. He lowered his trunk by hand from the overhead storage, the sounds from the hallway filling with excited students assaulting his ears. For some reason he couldn't tell if the sudden coiling in his stomach was from excitement or apprehension.

Hermione lowered her trunk with her wand as Harry pushed the door open.

Harry took in a calming breath and stepped out in the hallway - to run straight into someone. "Oh, sorry. Sorry," he said before his brain could catch up with his eyes, not realizing who he had just run into.

Cold, grey eyes glared down at him. "Watch where you're going, Potter," Draco Malfoy sneered before pushing by him with a sharp shoulder and stepping over his overturned trunk.

Harry glared darkly at the wizard's back as he rubbed at his shoulder. "I should have left him in the bloody Roo-"

"What was that about?" Hermione asked suddenly, eyeing the wizard's dropped trunk and startling him.

Harry's hand dropped from his shoulder, a look of guilt flitting across his features. "Oh, uh. Nothing. Just ran into Malfoy," he grumbled, leaning over and tossing in a few books that had fallen out. He flipped over the trunk and secured the lid, placing a locking charm on it for extra measure.

"Malfoy? He came back too?" Hermione asked with a surprised look on her face as she pushed a wayward, curly lock of hair behind her ear.

"I guess so," Harry said in a disheartened voice. That was the last thing he needed. Defeat Voldemort, go back for his final year at Hogwarts without his best friend, and deal with Draco Malfoy for another year. He groaned. Maybe he didn't need to be an auror. Maybe he'd just play Quidditch. Tryouts weren't for another two weeks. He eyed the car wistfully. He could just stay on, and it would take him back-

"No Harry." The witch shot him a look of sharp reproof. "I know what you're thinking. Now, come on, let's go find a carriage."

Harry smiled sheepishly. He turned, levitating the trunk with a swish of his wand and then began to make his way towards the closest exit. Hermione was right. He wasn't going to let the Slytherin ruin his last year at school. He probably wouldn't even be around him that much.

* * *

"Holy Salazar, Potter, it said ten and three-quarters clockwise. You only did ten, and it wasn't even in any specific direction. How do you even manage that?" Draco hissed, grabbing the spoon from his lab partner. He shook his head in disgust as he quickly stirred three times counter-clockwise to save the potion they had been working on for the past hour.

"Sorry," Harry muttered. He stifled a yawn and ran a hand roughly through his wild, black hair. He hadn't been sleeping well since school had started three days before. He hadn't slept too well before that either honestly.  _Not that it'll hurt me_ , he thought acerbically.

The wizard had been finding it increasingly difficult to maintain a feeling of normalcy ever since his decision to keep the horcrux attached to him. Immortality. He shook his head as he looked down at his Potions book, pushing the stressful thought away. _Just don't think about it._

He just needed to focus on finishing the day's assignment without making another mistake for his partner to berate him over. It shouldn't be too hard, after all he had already made a perfect batch of Draught of the Living Dead in fifth year. Although he had used Professor Snape's old book to do so... Why had he even signed up for this class? Right. He needed it. He glanced over at his assigned Potions partner.

"-How you even managed to win the vial of Felix Feli-"

Harry rolled his eyes, blocking out the wizard again as he looked back down at his text. He noticed a piece of folded parchment poking out between the last few pages of his Potions book. He frowned and flipped to the back of the text to find what appeared to be a note. Odd. He picked it up and examined it cautiously with furrowed eyebrows. There was nothing written on the outside. It was sealed with an unmarked blood-red, wax seal. He started to open it—

"Don't do that," Draco snapped, snatching the parchment from his hands and then dropping it unceremoniously into their cauldron.

Harry's mouth dropped open, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Why did you do that?" he shouted, watching in dismay as the edges of the note quickly turned black and then caught on fire, curling up on itself as it began to sink into the black potion.

"Ah, it's ready," Draco said in a pleased tone, seemingly deaf to the dark-haired wizard's exclamations beside him.

Harry's jaw clenched tightly as he glared darkly at the wizard. "I said - _why_  did you do that, Malfoy!" he demanded.

Draco turned to him slowly. He lifted a single, platinum-shaded eyebrow and shook his head, rolling his eyes, clearly not impressed by the wizard's display of anger. "Really. You ask the most inane questions, Potter."

Harry's right hand clenched into a fist, and he found it making contact with Draco's jaw before he could stop it.

* * *

"Detention! How did I get detention for being hit? Favoritism, blatant favoritism is what it is." Draco stomped through the Forbidden Forest a few feet ahead of Harry under the night sky, holding a lantern disdainfully in his right hand. "And how are we supposed to defend ourselves? I think there's something wrong with our new Potions professor. He doesn't-"

Harry ignored the blond and looked around at the ground, searching for the mushroom Hagrid had sent them out to look for. He wasn't overly worried about his own safety. He would be fine. He frowned at the not so comforting thought.

"What are you doing, Potter?"

Harry looked up slowly, the sharp question pulling him from his morbid musing. "Looking for-"

Draco held up a silencing hand, Harry for some reason stopping to see why. "They grow on trees, not the ground. And not just any tree before you start searching _every_ bloody trunk."

Harry blinked, taking offense to the statement as he ignored the fact that he had been about to do just that. He studied the platinum blond, who was standing in an all too expectant manner. Harry rolled his eyes and let out a begrudging sigh.

"What type of tree, Draco?" he asked in a bored fashion, finding a sadistic pleasure in seeing the blond's mouth drop open if only for a second when he used his first name.

Draco's expression darkened as he lowered the lantern to his waist side, the light casting shadows across his face, lending admirably to the intensity of his scowl. "A Corniphilus tree - Harry."

Harry held back a growl as he felt the distinct urge to hit the wizard again, a satisfied smirk crossing the blond's aristocratic features as he continued to wait.

"And do you know _where_ to find this tree?" he asked between clenched teeth. It wouldn't do to get detention during detention. He just wanted to find the bloody mushroom and go back to his dorm.

Draco scoffed, "Of course I do. I'm not an idiot." He shot Harry an unimpressed but somehow also disappointed look, turned and began to walk through the woods once more.

Harry trailed behind him. He looked around as he followed the wizard, hoping to find the elusive tree he had never heard of until just a few moments' past. As he scanned the woods, his mind began to drift back to a detention in first year he had served with the blond in a similar fashion. He eyed the wizard, who was walking in a wholly unaffected and surprisingly confident manner, not resembling the Slytherin he remembered at all at that moment.

The thought shot a sharp feeling of unease through his chest. He had admittedly been struggling with the intangible sensation of feeling oddly stuck as everyone around him continued to change and move forward. He shook the thought away. He was just being neurotic. He began to search the trees again in vain as he rubbed at his chest, trying to rid himself of the disconcerting tension.

"Ahhh!"

Harry's gaze shot up to find Draco swiping wildly at his shoulder. The blond let out another noise of distress, did an odd sideways step that almost looked like a dance and then began to stomp viciously at the ground in front of him.

"Vile creatures," the blond muttered to himself, stomping once more at the piece of ground in front of him. He glanced up at Harry and shot him a snooty look, jerking his chin up. He then began to walk again but more quickly.

Harry walked over and peered down, a smile forming on his lips. Spider. He let out a soft laugh. Maybe he wasn't so different. He looked up to see that he was suddenly alone and without light. He cursed silently as he searched around him for a glimmer from the lantern. "Malfoy?" he called out in a tense voice, not wanting to attract any unwanted attention.

He heard a rustling sound come from behind a line of trees some yards away to his left. He reached instinctively for his wand only to remember they had been taken away. He took a few small steps back. Maybe it was just Fang, or even better, Hagrid. _And if it isn't, I'll be fine_ , he tried to convince his suddenly anxious body. He took another quiet step back, his feet clearly disagreeing with him on the subject.

"Harry. Potter." A tall, dark-haired man in a long, black cloak stepped out from behind the trees and into the opening, a wide smile gracing his lips. His skin was a deathly pallor, recognizable even in the dim moonlight, and his eyes a bright crimson. Vampire.

Harry's eyes widened minutely as he began to mentally scour his mind for a useful piece of information to use against the man that wouldn't require the use of his wand. His lips pressed tightly together. Shit. He would run for it.

Cool, red eyes met alarmed, green orbs.

A soft smile crept eerily up the vampire's mouth, exposing gleaming white teeth. "And what, may I ask, is the Chosen One doing alone in the Forbidden Forest?" he paused, his sharp gaze shifting down to the wizard's empty hands, and his smile widened, displaying impressively sharp canines. "And without his wand?"

Harry took another small step back, almost tripping on a shallow root as his focus remained glued on the vampire, who had begun slowly approaching him. He needed a distraction. "Detention."

The vampire let out a throaty laugh, stopping in his approach. "I would have thought you would be exempt from such forms of punishment." He cocked his head to the side and lifted both eyebrows, his intense gaze boring into Harry's. "But, I can't complain. This will be much easier than I had originally thought."

Harry glanced around discreetly, hoping Draco didn't make the mistake of coming back to search for him and finding himself grateful for once of the wizard's complete dislike for him. "What do you want from me?" he asked, trying to sound calm, but his traitorous voice coming out notably tense.

The vampire let out a dry laugh and began to approach him once more. "What do I want indeed." He stopped, leaving only a few feet between them, Harry's legs itching to put more space between them. "You can give me something. Something that has eluded me... for far too long." The vampire's gaze suddenly clouded, a faraway look overtaking it.

Harry tensed his muscles in preparation.

The vampire's gaze snapped back, hardening. "But not any longer," he said sharply and took a deliberate step forward.

Harry made to run, but in a flash cold, strong hands were digging painfully into his arms and holding him firmly in place. "You weren't going to leave, were you?" disturbingly red lips asked in feigned surprise.

Harry opened his mouth to lie when a sharp pain shot up the entire left side of his neck and head. He heard someone groan, and everything went black.

* * *

"Harry?"

Harry blinked slowly as he sat up, his vision blurry. He reached instinctively for his glasses on the nightstand that sat to the left of his bed, his hand only finding air.

"Here."

Harry took the offered, blurry glasses and put them on. He looked around the suddenly clear room: neatly made beds with tightly tucked, white sheets, white curtains for temporary walls, uncomfortable plastic chairs for discouraging lingering guests, and the sterile smell of healing potions. He was in the hospital wing at Hogwarts.

He looked over to Hermione, who was sitting by his side in a chair. "What happened?" he asked groggily as he scratched his head, his brain stubbornly resisting to work.

"Hagrid found you and Malfoy in the forest an hour ago," Hermione said quietly, glancing around the room anxiously.

"The forest?" Suddenly flashes of woods and lips and eyes... deep red eyes ran through his mind. His hand shot up to his neck. He felt for a bandage or a wound but found nothing, the area not even tender. "I don't understand..."

Hermione opened her mouth to speak when Madam Pomfrey opened the door to her office, Headmistress McGonagall stepping out behind her.

"Remember Poppy, keep the wards up and do not allow anyone in there," McGonagall said in a quiet, clipped tone.

"Of course, Minerva." The mediwitch nodded sharply, shooting a stern look over towards Harry and Hermione before following the headmistress to the doors.

* * *

 

Harry sighed and opened his eyes in defeat. He couldn't sleep. He grabbed for his glasses, shoving them on quickly before glancing around the darkened room. He noted the absent light from under the mediwitch's room and pushed himself out of his bed quietly. He walked along cold stone floors with bare feet, his eyes trained on the closed door at the back of the hospital.

He needed to find out what had happened. Hermione had been swiftly shooed out by Madam Pomfrey after Professor McGonagall had left, and the mediwitch had not been forthcoming with any details of the night when pressed, merely informing Harry he would be able to speak with the headmistress in the morning.

Harry stopped just in front of the door and waved his wand, running through several unlocking spells until he heard a soft click.

He took in a slow breath and pushed open the door slowly and glanced around. The bed in the center of the private room was empty, the sheets messed. He stepped in further, the door shutting softly behind him. Where was he?

"Potter."

Harry spun around to see Draco stalking towards him, hands clenched and nostrils flared, his eyes black, no sign of grey in them.

Harry's wand arm shot up.

Draco stopped and let out a harsh laugh, his hands lifting casually in concession, almost in what Harry would describe a mocking manner. "What are you going to do, Potter? Kill me?" He let out another laugh, the noise sounding oddly bitter.

Harry's gaze shifted down to a white bandage, covering the left side of Draco's neck. "What happened out there? In the forest?" he asked, holding his wand still out and pointed at the blond's chest as his mind began to come to its own conclusion.

Draco took a step closer, Harry taking note of his skin, which was even more pale than usual and causing the memory of the vampire to flash before his eyes unbidden. His hand tightened around the wand.

"I made the mistake of not leaving you behind is what," Draco hissed.

A memory of white teeth and then pain shot to the forefront of his mind once more. "I thought I was bit," he said, eyeing the bandage on the other wizard's neck with a sinking feeling.

Draco smirked. "If only." He touched his hand absentmindedly to the bandage and then winced, removing it quickly. "No, I guess I was a preferable target for some reason."

Harry's chin dropped. "But, I - I remember being bit. It hurt." He rubbed at the unblemished skin on his neck that proved his assumption wrong.

Draco took another step closer. "No, that was the lantern. There's a reason I wasn't a chaser. I have a terrible throwing arm," he said, his tone dry.

Harry's wand lowered to his side as the wizard's words found purchase and began to make sense. Draco had tried to save him. "You hit me with the lantern?"

Draco nodded and took a small step forward, leaving only two feet between them. "Yes, now we're even." He shot him a soft smile.

Harry blinked. He cleared his throat as he tried to make sense of the rather nice smile the wizard was directing at him.

Draco took another step forward. "After I missed... he took notice of me, and well - here we are," he said in an even softer voice, taking the last step to close the distance between them.

"I see." Harry blinked again, his mind feeling like mush.

Draco let out a slow breath, and Harry breathed it in deeply. It smelled like cold. Odd. He hadn't realized that was a scent. He felt his eyes begin to drift shut seemingly of their own accord.

"Do you?" Draco whispered in his ear.

Harry nodded as the cool breath ran soothingly down the side of his face and then over his neck, hovering just above the pulse in his neck. He tried to open his eyes or move or think. Something was very wrong, but he couldn't find it in himself to do anything but stand there and focus on the increasingly small puffs of air.

Suddenly the intoxicating scent was gone.

Harry's eyes popped open, his mind snapping back and dread immediately shooting into his veins like a bucket of ice water to the face. His wand shot back up, pointing accusingly at the sneering blond, who was sitting casually on his bed.

"You were going to bite me!" Harry shouted.

Draco let out an unapologetic laugh and reclined back onto his bed. "Yes, I was. But now I know why I was bitten instead of you."

Harry took a step forward. "What? Why?"

Draco shot him a look of complete distaste. "You don't smell appetizing at all, Potter."


	2. Chapter 2

Harry sat the next day, and for the first time, in the private common room that was shared between the Head Boy and Head Girl, visiting the latter of the two. "It's all my fault," he mumbled into his hands as he sat hunched over on a Gryffindor-red sofa that was placed across from a black leather one.

Hermione sat down beside her friend. "No, it's not, Harry. You would have done the same for Malfoy. It's no one's fault."

Harry shook his head. "No, you don't understand. The va-the man... He said he was looking for me." He paused, looking up at his friend. " _Me_ specifically, Hermione. He was there because I came back to school, and _I'm_ the reason Draco had detention in the first place."

"What did he want from you?" she asked, scooting closer, her eyebrows furrowing in concern.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Whatever it was, I guess he didn't want it as much as he thought, because he ended up attacking Malfoy instead," he said, his words coming out bitter.

Hermione placed a hand gently on her friend's shoulder. "Even so, it doesn't make it your fault," she persisted, shooting him a pointed look.

Harry groaned and leaned back, resting his head on the back of the sofa. He stared up at the stone ceiling. He knew it was his fault. He hadn't been nearly careful enough in the forest. He had been so certain of his immortality, he had forgotten there were other things to fear than just death. Like being cursed for eternity. _Malfoy is a vampire because I punched him_. He let out a deep breath, guilt settling heavily in his chest. "Do you think he'll be allowed to attend school still?"

"Of course I will. What are you doing in here? I hope this isn't going to become a habit."

Harry sat up quickly at the scathing words. "What are you doing in here?" he asked, jumping up and holding his wand out, placing himself between Hermione and the blond wizard, who was standing just inside the room.

Draco rolled his eyes. He tapped a badge on his chest that had gone unnoticed by the dark-haired wizard. "Head boy, Potter."

Harry shot a look of bemusement over his shoulder at his friend, his wand still out. "Why didn't you tell me that?" he demanded.

"I did. Several times, actually," the witch replied sharply, crossing her arms over her chest. "I believe your exact words were, 'that's great, Hermione.'"

Harry paused for a moment, speechless as he searched his mind for the memories. He came up blank. He shook his head. "Hermione, you can't stay in here alone with - with him-"

"You mean with a _vampire_?" Draco sneered, Harry turning to look at him in surprise. "That is what you meant. Right?" He stalked towards him, stopping just in front of the pointed wand. "You think I'm not safe?" he hissed.

Harry's hand tightened around his wand, his anger growing as he looked into angry, black eyes. He resisted using it on the blond, reminding himself the wizard had saved him. "You tried to bite me just yesterday. How do I know you won't try it on Hermione?"

Draco let out a sharp laugh. "Good one, Potter." He turned abruptly and strode towards the door to the Head Boy dormitory, shutting it swiftly behind him without a further response.

Harry turned back to Hermione. "You can't stay in here!"

Hermione held up a hand to silence him. "Harry, sit," she then said firmly, patting the couch cushion beside her when he resisted.

Harry sat down slowly, settling on the edge of the sofa, his expression unchanging as he looked on the witch, who was wearing an equally stubborn expression. "What, don't tell me you trust Malfoy now?"

Hermione shook her head. "No." She held up her hand again when Harry opened his mouth. "But, I don't think I have anything to worry about either."

Harry frowned. "And why's that? He can't control himself. He's a vampire!" He let out an incredulous laugh. Ron was going to murder him.

Hermione sighed. "Harry, do you remember when we learned about vampires in DADA class in third year?" she asked slowly, her words taking on a superior tone that irked the messy-haired wizard.

"Yes, they're immortal, and they thrive off human _blood_ , Hermione!" Harry shouted, his concerns only growing from the conversation.

"Yes, and they also have impeccable control and will only bite if they choose to, or if they are attracted to someone—and even then—they can usually restrain themself."

Harry blinked. "What are you trying to say?"

"Well, Draco doesn't want to drain anyone. That would be murder, and it's an offense punishable by Azkaban—for life—which is a long sentence for someone like him." She paused, Harry looking somewhat abashed. "And he definitely wouldn't want to turn me, because then there's the chance I might become his mate."

He shot her a look of complete bewilderment.

Hermione let out an exasperated breath. "Harry, Draco is not attracted to people like _me_." She raised her eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Why, because of your blood heritage?" He felt all sympathy for the blond draining from him suddenly.

"No - no, not that, I mean..." She paused again, her features screwing up into a look of awkward discomfort as she eyed the wizard's door with noticable apprehension before whispering, "Because I don't have the right body parts."

Harry sat quietly for a moment as he eyed his friend dubiously. What body parts did-"Malfoy's _gay_?" he asked loudly in surprise.

Hermione grimaced and nodded slowly. She shot a wary glance over to the closed door again as if she expected it to burst off its hinges at any moment. "I thought you knew," she said in a cautious tone, an odd expression on her face.

Harry shook his head, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling trying to take up residence in his chest. "No. I. I didn't." He frowned as the witch's tone clicked in his head. "How would _I_ know?" he asked, his tone suddenly taking on a defensive edge.

Hermione shifted in her seat. "I don't know," she hedged. "You two have always just seemed so preoccupied with each other. And Ron said you used to stare at his name on the map at night for hours in fifth year. And then there's... well, Ron and I, we just assumed you two..."

Harry jumped up from his seat. "I'm not into Malfoy if that's what you're saying," he said curtly. _If,_ he scoffed to himself. That was clearly what she was saying. Why hadn't Ron said anything to him about it? "Just because I'm-" He paused and then sat back down, forcing his muscles to relax somewhat.

"I was watching him, because I didn't trust him, Hermione," he said forcefully. "And Malfoy obviously hates me, because he almost bit me last night." Why had he stopped though if that was his motivation? He had only said he didn't smell appetizing. Was that an insult? He let out a dry laugh. Of course Draco would find a way to insult him, even if it was his reason for not killing him.

Hermione nodded reluctantly, her movements growing more confident when Harry growled. "Of course. Of course, I'm sorry, Harry. Forget I said it."

* * *

Blood. Sweet, tempting blood. Draco held back a moan as he slid down the door of his dorm, his chest shaking as he laughed silently. What was wrong with him?

 _You're a vampire, you fool_ , he chastised himself harshly. He ran his hands up into platinum locks and pulled at them as his traitorous mouth filled with venom, his entire body vibrating with an almost uncontrollable want for the wizard on the other side of the door. He was supposed to have more control than this. He knew about vampires, and he had just refreshed himself on them very thoroughly the last two nights when he couldn't sleep by reading every book he could find from the library on them. On himself.

He let out a dry laugh as his body rebelled, and his once sharp mind worked far too quickly even for him. He swallowed hard to force down the bile that had begun to rise in his throat. He was a vampire. His family would hate him. He was the Malfoy heir. Or was he even that anymore? What had he been thinking, trying to save Harry? Potter - his mind shifted to the unbelievably frustrating wizard.

He had lied to him.

He smelled delicious. Maybe not appetizing. No, that wasn't the right word. But undeniably tempting nonetheless. As soon as Draco had smelled him through the door in the hospital, his body had began to hum for one thing. It thrummed with a need for the taste of the wizard's blood.

Draco groaned. His chest heaved as he held his muscles perfectly still. He couldn't trust them, not with the blasted wizard so close by. He leaned his head down, his chin almost touching his chest as he covered his ears so he could pretend he was blocking out the too loud voices in the common room discussing him like he didn't have extra sensitive hearing since the change.

He clenched his teeth together tightly, his jaw flexing. He wouldn't bite him. He wanted to, but he wouldn't. He was only confusing his new instincts with his actual desires. He would just have to learn to adjust. Acclimate. He was infected with vampirism, that was indisputable, but he was still a person. He wasn't a monster. He just needed to work through things in a slightly different manner than he was used to.

He heard the wizard's bushy-haired friend make her way up the stairs to her dorm and then listened for the wizard to leave.

Draco let his head bang softly on the door behind him and then took in a steadying breath, his senses unexpectedly filling with the wizard's approaching scent. A smile crept up the corners of his lips unbidden.

* * *

 "Did you hear something?" Harry asked as he stood up, feeling slightly more reassured but still wary on behalf of his friend. He shot a suspicious glance over to where the noise had come from, the Head Boy's room. A groan perhaps? The thought caused the uncomfortable feeling in his chest from earlier to return.

Hermione shook her head as she pushed herself off the sofa. "No. Listen Harry, I'm going to get some sleep. I have Arithmancy first thing in the morning," she said, stifling a yawn.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, all right. I'll let myself out," he said quietly, his ears still searching for another noise from the room. He heard it again. He shot the witch a discreet look, she was collecting her books from the sofa table lazily, seemingly oblivious to the noises.

"Night, Harry," she said softly and patted him on the head as she walked past him. She trudged up the stairs to her dorm, the sound of the door clicking softly behind her was followed by a muted thud from the other room.

Harry made to walk towards the exit, but found his feet inexplicably leading him straight to Draco's room. His hand landed on the door, and he pulled it open quietly to find himself looking straight into onyx eyes.

"Malfoy," he said quietly in greeting.

"Potter," the blond responded from his bedside a few feet's distance from the door, matching his cool tone despite the small upturn of his lips.

Harry felt a shiver run up his spine. There was something different about his voice lately. His mannerisms too. He still insulted him and glared at him, but there was some underlying emotion that seemed laced, intertwined in the wizard's words and actions that put him on edge. _Intense loathing probably_ , he mused ruefully. He _was_ the reason he was a vampire after all. "I'm sorry," he blurted.

"Sorry? For _what_ , Potter? Walking into my room uninvited?" Draco asked, suddenly sharp, his smiling lips curling into a harsh sneer.

Harry considered leaving but found himself walking all the way in instead, his hand falling from the door as it shut behind him. "No," he said quickly. He looked around the room as he fumbled to gather his thoughts. When had he become such a bumbling fool around the wizard, and when had he decided it was a good idea to walk into his private quarters? He held back a grimace when he remembered too late he had left his wand in the common room.

He cleared his throat and looked back up at a smirking Draco. He couldn't read his mind could he? He shook the absurd thought from his head and ran a hand into his already wild hair. "No, I mean - I should thank you for saving me fr-" he stopped suddenly. He was about to say 'from being bitten.' Was that insulting? Draco _had_ been bitten instead. Would he-

" _Don't_ thank me for that," the blond said shortly. He walked past him slowly, barely resisting the urge to stop as he made his way over to the dresser in his room, placing the most amount of space between them possible. He needed to keep his hands busy so he didn't use them for something else. _Like restraining Potter so you can drain him_ , his mind suggested eagerly. He laughed harshly. He had been mistaken. He _was_ a monster. He jerked open a drawer. "Leave me."

Harry studied the lean wizard as he rifled through his drawers rather aggressively. "I just want you to know... it was, it was really..." He sighed as he worked to gather his thoughts. "I can't thank you enough. If you ever need anything, I mean absolutely anything-"

"Stop." Draco grasped the sides of the drawer, his already white knuckles growing impossibly whiter. Why was he saying such things? It was almost like he wanted him to bite him. He released his grip and turned around slowly. Maybe he did. He did say 'anything.'

"Harry," he said smoothly and began to stalk towards him. He felt venom begin to pool in his mouth.

Harry's eyebrows shot up. "Draco?" he countered and found his feet slowly traveling in a backwards fashion. He bumped into the door, his right hand fumbling for the handle, his brain screaming as his unhelpful fingers grew more sluggish.

The blond let out a soft laugh and stopped just in front of him. "Do you really want to know what I need... right now?" he asked in almost a whisper, his dark gaze trailing greedily down the wizard's inviting neck.

Harry hummed indecisively. He wasn't so sure anymore. "Yes," he forced out, hoping he was wildly misreading the wizard at that moment.

Draco pressed his lips together gently and nodded slightly. His tongue darted out and wet his lips just barely as his hand reached out and covered the wizard's, hot skin meeting his cold fingers with a shock. He felt a jolt of something shoot up through his core, and he lost his breath for a moment. He gritted his teeth, his mind beginning to work again, and looked down into vivid, green eyes.

"Sleep," he said sharply between clenched teeth and turned the knob for the wizard, restraining himself with all his control as the messy-haired wizard nodded slowly, backing up against the opening door, his hand still resting on the handle.

"Right. Right. Sorry," Harry said in a raspy voice. He cleared his throat and let go of the handle, stepping out of the door's path.

Draco caught the door abruptly with his hand, the dull thud jarring the tense atmosphere. "One more thing, Potter." He waited for the wizard's dark eyebrows to shoot up predictably. "Stop apologizing to me. It's insulting," he said curtly and then pulled the door shut firmly.

Draco pulled out his wand, his hand shaking as he quickly locked himself in, the last shreds of control holding on tenuously. He stormed to the back of the room, breathing out heavily, trying to rid himself of the heady scent that would surely be his downfall. He stalked into his bathroom and shut the door, locking it too before sliding the wand under the door and then curling into a ball as his body tried to fight his dwindling sanity for control.

He let out an incredulous laugh. Of course he would want to kill _Harry Potter_. Who would ever notice he was missing? His laughs grew as foreign feelings coursed through his body.

* * *

 "Draco, you look like shit."

Draco groaned and rolled onto his back to look up into mischievous brown eyes. "Blaise, how did you get in here?" he asked sleepily, his fingertips trailing along rough stone, telling him what his eyes hadn't realized yet. He was on the bathroom floor.

"You used the same locking charm that you used on me in third year when we had that fight," the wizard said with a flippant shoulder shrug. He leaned down slowly and eyed him with a careful look. "How are you feeling?"

Draco rolled his eyes and pushed himself up, his friend backing up to give him space. _He's probably afraid I'll bite him_. He didn't blame him. He took in a cautious breath, his mouth pooling from the wizard's scent with venom that made his mouth too dry. He swallowed and ignored the feeling. It was uncomfortable but quite bearable. He let out a relieved sigh and stood up slowly. He had to try to not move too quickly. It unnerved himself as much as it did other people.

"Draco?"

Draco looked over to see his friend shooting him a more openly worried look. He needed to not get so caught up in his thoughts. He found it even harder since he had become a - well, he didn't want to think about it. He forced a smirk.

"I'm fantastic, Blaise," he drawled and then walked over to the sink. He gripped the sides, leaning heavily on the white, porcelain bowl and looked into the mirror. He found unfamiliar, black eyes glaring back at him, too red lips, and his skin was clearly going to be the envy of all pureblooded Slytherin witches.

He snorted. Just what he needed, more female attention.

He rubbed his hands over his face, trying to add some color fruitlessly. He'd need blood for that, which he would be getting as soon as he could make his way to the hospital wing. He swallowed again, ambivalent feelings warring for control at the thought. He looked over to his unusually silent friend. "Why are you being so quiet?" he asked in a sharp tone.

Blaise sighed. "I don't know. You looked like you needed a minute."

Draco felt a surge of gratitude fill his chest. He had honestly expected the wizard to abandon him when he had told him the day before about what had happened to him. What he was. He probably would have, had it been the other way around.

"You're such a Hufflepuff sometimes, Zabini," he said in an offhanded fashion as he stood upright and then walked out of the bathroom briskly. He pulled open a drawer and began to busy himself with searching for clothes for the day.

Blaise laughed as he leaned on the doorway. "Yeah, maybe... So, do you want me to go with you to see Madam Pomfrey today?" he asked, his voice suddenly tense despite his obvious attempt at nonchalance.

Draco's hands stilled. He clenched his jaw and forced them to begin moving again, but failed at trying to make it appear casual. He grabbed a pair of socks and tried to strangle them. "No."

"All right. That's fine," Blaise said easily and walked over to the wizard's unused bed and plopped down on it casually. "It's nice you have your own room now..."

Draco smiled slightly as he pulled open another drawer and picked up a dark grey shirt. Black would be too contrasting and white... He was slightly afraid to see how much closer he was to that shade just then. Grey was good. "Yeah, and why's that?" he asked in feigned innocence.

"Because, now I can bring my friends up here whenever I want."

Draco turned around slowly. "I wouldn't advise that."

"Not any guys, just girls," the wizard said quickly.

Draco shook his head, feeling slightly appeased. "Still. I don't want anyone to catch on to my... circumstances." He pulled off the wrinkled shirt he had slept in and then tugged on a fresh button up, forcing his reluctant fingers to work. He had to go to class, but he was already sensing he would need very quiet evenings to regroup to his new life.

He swallowed again, his gaze flitting to the window as he grabbed a tie blindly, wrapping it around his neck and pulling his collar down over it. He still hadn't gotten an owl from his mother. She had to know by now. McGonagall had told him she would be going to Malfoy Manor the night before. He looked back to Blaise, who was once again shooting him a patient but knowing look as he deftly knotted his tie.

"Come on, Zabini."


	3. Chapter 3

"Madam Pomfrey," Draco said in a forced polite voice as he stood just inside the mediwitch's small but neatly kept office early Monday morning. There were shelves covering the sterile white walls with healer books and a small window behind the witch's desk that looked out onto the court yard.

"Mister Malfoy, good to see you," the witch replied as she stood up from behind her desk, her greeting slightly more genial than he was accustomed to. "Please follow me," she said quietly and then proceeded to walk out of the office.

The blond wizard followed behind the older mediwitch towards the room at the far end of the hospital wing, glancing discreetly around the infirmary. He was relieved to find it empty except for a soundly sleeping first or second year. His eyes finally settled on the door to the room they were approaching, the same one he had stayed in after the attack. He swallowed hard as his heart began to pick up speed, the only outwardly signs of his hesitation the slight slowing of his last few steps before entering the room. The blond glanced around the space, his gaze settling on the bed where he had lain. It had only been a few days, but it seemed like it had been much longer, the memory feeling warped and dulled already from constant recall.

"I spoke with Madam Blau, the mediwitch at Durmstrang," Madam Pomfrey began immediately in a clipped tone after shutting the door, pulling the vampire from his musings. "They have a few students there that require this treatment, and I think that three units will accomplish what we are aiming for, a normalized appearance and weakened impulses. Correct?"

Draco forced a curt nod.

The older witch nodded slowly in return. "Good. Now, you must remember to come to me once a week, no matter what, at the same time, or you will be putting yourself and all around you in serious danger. As you know, once you start treatment you will be more susceptible to lapses in control if you are to stop. It is the nature of your condition."

"Yes, Professor McGonagall was quite clear, thank you," he said somewhat tersely. He hated the choice of words. Treatment. Units. Condition. He scoffed mentally, _It's as if she thinks she's treating me for a bad case of dragonpox_. If only he were so lucky. He resisted fidgeting, feeling more agitated as he stood in the room where he had first come to terms with what had happened to him, waiting to do something he both dreaded and anticipated at the same time.

The mediwitch studied him for a long moment. "All right then. Please, have a seat," she said in a more gentle tone, motioning to the bed before turning and walking over to a new cupboard in the corner of the room as the young wizard sat stiffly on the edge of the bed.

She used her wand to unlock the cupboard and then unlocked another door that was inside of it. "You might want to hold your breath for a moment. I've been told that the smell is quite potent with it being so concentrated," she warned as she continued to work.

Draco ignored her. He could handle it. Suddenly a tangy smell filled the air. He breathed it in slowly, his eyes falling shut as the mouth-watering scent invaded his senses, venom coating his teeth in anticipation. He clenched his jaw tightly as he waited, all thoughts quickly replaced with only one.

Thirst.

* * *

Draco strode down the hallways, his platinum fringe once again framing icy grey eyes. _For the moment_. He would need to keep up his Monday hospital visits if he wanted to keep his features more human-like in appearance. His jaw tensed at the thought. He didn't feel less human. No, no that wasn't completely true. He didn't feel less human when he was _alone_.

At that moment though, walking amidst his fellow classmates, he felt decidedly inhuman. His gaze shifted sharply from person to person, some he knew personally, some he recognized and others he couldn't place. He wasn't interested though in who they were or what they were doing but rather which would make the best snack as his teeth remained perpetually coated with venom. He felt conscious of how he held his mouth shut as if he had something to hide. His canines weren't that noticeable. He ran his tongue along one carefully.

"Draco! Where have you been the last couple days?"

Draco held back a sigh. "Hello, Pansy," he greeted his friend as he continued to walk, the witch following beside him. He felt uncomfortable around the girl, not having told her what had happened yet, and he wasn't looking forward to it either. He was still expecting Blaise to come to his senses and abandon him.

"Blaise said to tell you he wouldn't be in DADA, but he'd see you in Potions afterward."

Draco stopped mid-step. _Potions_. He had forgotten he would have to work with Potter in Potions. He considered skipping the class only for a moment, quickly dismissing the idea. He couldn't do that. He was only attending his last year in order to pursue becoming a Potions Master, cutting was out of the question. He would be fine. He wasn't really thirsty anymore. He started walking again, his feet picking up their pace as his rogue mind did the same, doing its best to plan the Gryffindor savior's untimely end.

"Draco? Is something wrong? Blaise said you skipped breakfast because you were feeling ill? You do look a little pale," the Slytherin witch said as she struggled to keep up in her high heels.

The blond looked down at the dark-haired witch. "No, I feel _fine_."

* * *

Harry sat in DADA class, his gaze trained on an especially upright blond out of the corner of his vision. He was sitting on the edge of his chair and drumming his fingers on the table. He studied the seemingly agitated movement, trying to decide if it was out of boredom or due to something far less benign.

"Harry, stop it," Hermione whispered from the seat beside him.

"Stop what?" Harry whispered back as he continued to watch, the wizard stretching his fingers out and splaying them in a tense fashion before he began drumming them again. What was wrong with him? He wasn't even taking notes. Harry tilted his head, noting the wizard's clenched jaw. He looked like he was struggling with something. Did he-

"Staring at Malfoy."

Harry turned to his friend. "I'm not!" he whispered harshly.

Hermione lifted one eyebrow.

Harry sighed and shot a quick glance back over at the wizard, who he was not staring at. He just wanted to make sure he wasn't going to hurt anyone. Hermione had insisted that vampires had excellent self control even as a newly turned one, but he just couldn't reconcile that with his own interactions with the blond. No, he had definitely been on edge both times. His eyes narrowed as he watched the wizard shift in his seat, sliding back in his chair only to scoot forward once more.

" _Harry_!"

Harry broke his gaze and looked back over at his friend. "Fine. Maybe I am," he paused, looking up at their new teacher, a portly and bald wizard named Allister Brown, who enjoyed wearing far too much brown, before continuing in a hushed tone, "But something's not right. He just seems. I don't know... Different." He frowned at the inadequate but to-be-expected description of someone who had just recently become a vampire. There was something else about the blond that was putting him on edge as of recent, but he couldn't quite place it, something other than the obvious of him being a blood-thirsty snob. He quirked a small smile and looked down at the text in front of him.

"Okay, now please pick a partner for the project and not someone from your own House," Professor Brown said from the front of the room. The sound of chairs sliding back reluctantly against the stone floor filled the room.

"Project? What project?" Harry looked over to his friend for an explanation.

Hermione shook her head in exasperation. "We have to come up with our own defensive spell for NEWTS. It's a semester long project." She stood up quickly and walked off to find a partner.

Harry looked around the room, pushing himself up slowly as he searched for a possible partner from Slytherin. His gaze landed on a still-sitting blond, a small group of Gryffindor witches whispering and giggling at a nearby table as they ogled the wizard.

Harry's eyes widened, and he found himself almost jogging over. He couldn't let one of them pair up with Draco. He stopped beside the wizard at the same time as Parvati Patil.

"Malfoy, do you want to be my partner?" he asked quickly, his words coming out a bit manic in his rush, startling himself as much as the witch he had cut off.

Draco looked up into surprised green eyes. He blinked. "All right," he said simply and stood up, slinging his schoolbag over his right shoulder. "Let's go to the library then," he said in an offhanded manner.

"The library?" Harry asked as he stood planted in place, not noticing the glare he was receiving from Parvati, his mind still processing what had just happened. He had asked Draco to be his partner for the entire semester, and the wizard had accepted without hesitation.

"Yes, for _books_... In order to start our research," he said dryly. He sniffed nonchalantly, and then his brain slammed to a grinding halt as something clicked in his mind. His tongue darted out, wetting his lips, and he shifted closer to the wizard, recognizing the extra scent on him with his thirst satiated. Pheromones. _Shit_. The blond swallowed hard, keeping his expression blank. Why had he accepted his offer?

Harry nodded jerkily as he looked up at the slightly taller wizard, who was standing uncomfortably close. "Right. Research. Of course. Let me grab my things." He took a step back and almost tripped over a table before turning and making his way back to his desk.

* * *

Draco opened his eyes, which were once again black, his grey eyes having slowly darkened as the evening had progressed as the wizard spent it alone in his room. It was late on Sunday night, and he had been lying on his bed for at least a few hours, sleep eluding him as he thought about the trip to the hospital wing he would need to make in the morning, but something kept distracting him. The whisper of a scent.

He finally gave in to the urge and breathed in deeply, concentrating on singling the maddening scent out. Yes, he had not imagined it. He pushed himself up out of his bed and padded quietly towards the door that led to the shared common room, his room lit only by the pale, yellow light of the moon. He stopped in front of it, breathed in again, and his forehead fell forward and landed with a soft thud against the wood, his bangs softening the hit. _Why is he out there_?

The blond groaned softly. It was hard enough working beside him in Potions every bloody day, his scent amplified by the excess heat from the fire under their cauldron. He also had to spend three evenings a week with his new DADA partner in the usually abandoned library. It was almost as if he was trying to torture him with his presence. He looked down at the door handle and debated on what he should do. He _should_ go back to sleep, but he couldn't do that. He hadn't been asleep in the first place. He definitely shouldn't open the door. He listened to the sound of slow, heavy breaths that were indicative of sleeping.

His hand landed on the doorknob and turned it slowly. As he pushed it open, his eyes alighted on a certain dark-haired wizard, who was lying on the Gryffindor red couch in black sweatpants and no shirt, his head turned to the side and displaying his neck in a tempting manner.

Draco tilted his head to the side. _At least for a vampire_ , he amended.

A dark smile slowly curled the corners of his mouth as he began to walk silently towards the couch. He stopped just in front of the sleeping Gryffindor and looked down, studying the messy-haired wizard, who was sleeping without a pillow or blanket. He drew in a small, tentative breath. There was something odd about his scent. It was by far the most tempting one he had come across at the school, but in almost a foreboding way. He leaned down and poked the wizard in the arm.

Harry groaned, his eyes opening slowly. "Malfoy..?" he asked in a sleepy voice. He blinked a few times and then sat up abruptly. "What are you doing out here?"

Draco let out a small laugh. "It's my common room, Potter, what are _you_ doing out here?" He sat down on the couch across from the tense wizard, shooting him an expectant look.

Harry relaxed somewhat. "I. I was..." He trailed off as he tried to smooth his wild hair down.

"Protecting Granger?" he asked with a knowing smirk. "I must say, you're not doing an overly impressive job. You were completely out of it. She could be lying up in her bed completely drained for all you know."

Harry fought the urge to run up the stairs and check on her. That was obviously what he wanted. "You think this all really funny, don't you?" he asked harshly.

Draco sniffed and shifted in his seat, his left arm stretching out and resting along the back of the couch, his posture belying his irritation. "Actually I don't, not beyond your irrational fears at least. Do you think I should find it amusing that I am no longer considered a 'wizard' by the Ministry's standards?" He stopped, not having meant to have shared his concerns with the wizard. He took in a slow breath, and the Gryffindor's scent flooded his senses, making his every cell feel like it would catch fire. He clenched his jaw and waited for it to subside. He would have to remember not to do that around the wizard.

"No. I. I'm sorry." Harry leaned forward, shooting the wizard an apologetic look.

Draco gritted his teeth. "Don't. Apologize. _Anymore_."

Harry nodded slowly. He ran a hand roughly through wild black hair, his gaze flitting around the dark room before landing back on the wizard across from him. "Can I ask you something?"

Draco lifted one eyebrow.

Harry sighed, assuming the wizard had consented and asked in a careful tone, "How bad is it?" He shot a quick glance over his shoulder at Hermione's closed door. "I mean... the thirst?"

Draco lifted his chin slightly, his gaze locked on the wizard in a slightly predatory fashion, unnerving himself. "I'm not going to bite Granger."

"What if you lose control?" Harry asked quickly.

Draco blinked. "I won't."

Harry sighed and scooted to the edge of the sofa. "How-"

" _Listen_ , Potter," Draco said, cutting him off quickly. "I have no aspirations of becoming a murderer—despite what you may believe—and I'm not attracted to Granger in the least. _Believe me_."

Harry shot him a tight look of disbelief but slowly relaxed, and he found himself nodding. "All right." He stopped himself from apologizing again. He looked around the room. "Couldn't sleep?" he asked as he ran an agitated hand over his arm.

Draco cocked his head to the side, a small smile forming on his lips. "Are you making polite conversation?" he asked, finding that it didn't annoy him nearly as much as he would have assumed.

Harry leaned back, resting against the sofa. "Yeah, I guess I am," he said, his restless hand shifting up to his hair again. "Listen, I know you don't want to hear it again so I won't say it, but I - I owe you."

Draco licked his lips slowly, his enhanced vision allowing him to run his gaze over the wizard's tone torso as he stretched out. _Potter is really fit_. He felt his control suddenly begin to slip, and he found himself standing up. He walked over and sat down beside the wizard unthinkingly. "You owe me?" he asked in a smooth voice, and he shifted closer.

Harry nodded jerkily as he eyed him warily. "Ah, yeah... I mean. If you need any-"

" _Don't_ ," Draco said sharply, catching himself suddenly and regaining some control. He closed his eyes as he tried to keep from losing it so close to the wizard.

"Are you feeling okay?" Harry asked.

"Yes. Just _stop_ offering me things," he said, forcing the words out between clenched teeth as he fought both the urge to bite and touch the wizard.

Harry swallowed, his pulse picking up speed as he studied the tense blond sitting beside him in the dark common room. "Right. Ah, and why's that?"

Draco let out an unamused laugh. "Because I might just take you up on it."

Harry furrowed his eyebrows. What was wrong with that? Did he think he didn't actually mean it? "That's kind of the point."

Draco cursed silently and scooted closer, giving in to one of the urges in hopes it would ease the other, and suddenly his side was pressing against the wizard's. Without warning heat began to seep into his body, warmth spreading first through his core and then outward, caressing his limbs like a long-lost lover as it travelled all the way to the tips, enveloping his entire body. He let out a sigh. He hadn't even realized how much he had missed the heat. He leaned his head back on the brash red sofa, his eyelids suddenly heavy. "Fine. If you really want to help just stay right like that," he said in a suddenly tired voice.

Harry cleared his throat uncomfortably. "You mean _exactly_ like this?" he asked, thinking he had misunderstood as they sat pressed against each other, neither of them wearing a shirt.

Draco hummed his assent, his head only nodding ever so slightly as the intoxicating warmth continued to blissfully dull his overworked senses, his mind slowing down - sleep stealing him away blissfully for the first time in three days.

* * *

Draco yawned and stretched. He was lying on his back, a comfortable warm blanket lying on top of him. A heavy warm blanket. He took in a deep breath and then venom began to pool eagerly in his mouth. He frowned. The blanket moved and let out a low groan and was decidedly _male_.

Grey eyes popped open, green eyes staring back in alarm. He blinked, and the other set of eyes blinked in response.

"Potter?"

Harry let out a startled noise and rolled off, falling to the floor with a small thud.

Draco sat up instantly.

Harry let out a surprised noise at the quick movement and scooted back on the floor until he was leaning against the other couch.

"What's wrong? _Afraid_ , Potter?" Draco sneered as the wizard stared at him in a way that made him feel uncomfortably self-concious.

"No. No, just surprised is all," Harry said and then cleared his throat, pushing himself up slowly to add merit to the statement. "You're really fast," he hedged.

Draco stood up, his gaze running swiftly over the wizard before scanning the rest of the room. "Yes, and you're slow."

Harry frowned. "I suppose so..." His gaze fell on the wizard before him, and all intelligible thoughts drained from his mind. He hadn't gotten a good look at the wizard in the dark. Draco was standing in a pair of grey silk pajama pants and no shirt, his pale skin flawless over lean muscles. His eyes trailed up and landed on two small, red almost-scars at the base of his neck and then quickly continued on until they met grey eyes. Harry blinked.

"Your _eyes_ ," he said in a surprised voice.

"What about them?" Draco asked in a cool voice, trying to hide the fact that he was agitated. He would have thought that the wizard had noticed his black eyes before. He had seen him right after the incident after all.

"They're. They're grey again," Harry responded.

Draco stood completely still for a moment. "I'm sorry?" That was impossible.

"I thought last night they were-" Harry stopped when Draco walked past him and into his room, shutting the door swiftly behind him. "Black," he said to himself.

* * *

Draco stood in his bathroom, staring at his eyes. They were grey. _Why_ were they grey? He closed his eyes tightly and opened them again. Still grey. He shook his head. It didn't make any sense. What was different? He hadn't done anything out of the norm. He definitely hadn't bitten anyone. He would remember. Wouldn't he? The only thing out of the ordinary that he could remember was he had awoken with-

_Potter_.

Draco took a step back from the mirror. That didn't make sense. How could the wizard have had any effect? He thought back and remembered the extreme warmth he had felt when touching the wizard, as if it were heating his very core.

No that wasn't right. It had been almost like the wizard had lent his body the ability to heat itself again.

He took another step back, dread filling his chest and making him feel like he might choke on it as his mind recalled the numerous books he had read over the past week. Some vampire lines were thought to be able to leach a wizard's life magic just through proximity or touch.

Draco turned abruptly and strode out of the room. He would need to make a trip to the library before he went to the hospital.

* * *

"How are you feeling?"

Harry looked up blankly at the tall blond, who was standing by their table in Potions, having just arrived. "Fine... and you?" he asked in an unsure voice, noting that despite the wizard being impeccably dressed there was an air of disarray exuding from him. He cleared his throat.

Draco waved a hand dismissively, pulling out his text and then putting his bag down on the floor before taking a cautious step closer to him. He set his Potions book on the table in a deliberate fashion, looked down at the space between them and then took a small step closer, leaving less than a foot between them. He glanced around the room and then whispered, "Do you feel weak?"

Harry took a step away. " _No_. Why do you ask?"

The blond eyed him again, seeming not to believe him. After a long moment he spoke up, "You don't look ill."

Harry shot the wizard a concerned look. "That's because I'm _not_."

Draco nodded slowly. "Good," he said simply and then opened his book and lined up the ingredients in order before tapping his wand to light the fire under their cauldron. "Good."


	4. Chapter 4

Draco stared down at the sealed note in his hands, the noises of the Great Hall quickly drowning under the onslaught of thoughts that had begun to crash against his mind in waves. His mother had written.

He ran a finger seemingly in an idle fashion along the green, wax seal of snakes, bearing the words _Sanctimonia Vincet Semper,_ a motto which no longer applied to him. Or maybe it did, but just not in the way it once had. His jaw flexed as his hands remained lax. It had been three days since she had found out and had only just owled him. Was that a good sign? He flipped it over to look at his name. The script was basically the same. Maybe a little unsteady?

"Is that a letter from your mother?" Pansy asked from his right side, leaning over to peer at the piece of still folded parchment curiously.

The blond nodded curtly, sniffing in assumed nonchalance as he set the note down on the table, the Malfoy seal staring up at him ominously. He shook the absurd thought from his mind.

The dark-haired witch furrowed her eyebrows before turning her attention to Blaise, who was sitting across from Draco. "Did you hear what happened to Potter last night?" she asked.

Blaise snorted. "Yeah, I did. I don't know if it's actually true though."

Draco lifted his fork and took a bite of food, without checking what it was beforehand. Everything he had tried since the incident had tasted the same. Awful. He needed to eat though to keep up appearances despite his body's inability to thrive off it any longer. He swallowed, opting not to wash the too dry bite down with a sip of pumpkin juice. He found liquids even more intolerable, being too close in texture to blood but tasting nothing like it.

"What happened?" he asked in an offhanded manner as he stabbed another bite of food, ignoring the surge of venom production from the errant thought.

"Oh, I heard too," Astoria Greengrass said from a couple seats down, a smile detectable in her words that wasn't exactly pleasant.

The blond set down his fork and looked up at his housemates. They were all smiling in a similar fashion, making him inexplicably and quite suddenly feel very on edge. "Well, what is it?" he asked tersely.

Blaise glanced around him and then leaned forward on his forearms, saying in a hushed tone, "The story is that he fell from his broom on the Quidditch pitch when he was higher than the stands with no cushioning charm to break his fall," he paused before adding simply, "A straight drop."

Draco's eyes widened ever so slightly. No. " _What_?" Blaise nodded slowly, the smile still there.

The blond pushed himself up from his seat unthinkingly. Why had he fallen? That wasn't like the Gryffindor seeker. "Is he in the hospital wing or did they transfer him to St. Mungo's?"

Pansy grabbed his arm. "Neither-"

"What do you mean 'neither'?" Draco asked, cutting her off swiftly, barely managing to keep his voice even as a sinking feeling hit him hard and squarely in the chest, making it hard to breathe. No. No, he couldn't be-

"Draco. Draco, did you _hear_ me?"

The blond looked down to see Blaise shooting him an oddly curious look that made his unease only grow.

" _What_?" he asked sharply.

His friend turned and motioned over to the Gryffindor table with a wave of his hand in a patronizing flourish. "He's right there."

Draco's gaze shifted over to find the Gryffindor wizard sitting at his usual seat beside Granger - laughing about something no less. "He looks fine." He sat down slowly, the panic he had been seized with lessening its hold on his chest. He let out a slow breath. That was... _unexpected_.

"I know. Isn't it odd?" Pansy asked, not seeming to notice his reaction, as she and the other Slytherins peered over at him.

"Quite," Blaise inserted, his gaze resting on his best friend instead.

Draco frowned as he scanned the wizard for any visible signs of injury. A scar, a scratch, or a grimace perhaps when he shifted in his seat. No, he looked perfectly well. His breathing eased. "It must be a lie," he said finally, the disconcerting feeling in his chest disappearing almost completely but not quite.

The wizard of topic looked over, and he found himself suddenly gazing into surprised vivid, green eyes, and the feeling of unease suddenly melted away, leaving him with a seed of warmth in his chest. He cleared his throat, his gaze shifting back down at his plate. Very unexpected.

* * *

"Harry, is something wrong?"

The dark-haired wizard shook his head as he eyed the Slytherin table warily, the wizards and witches eating and talking amongst each other. He could have sworn they were all just staring at him when he had first looked over, including Malfoy. Their stares had induced an unwanted feeling he had been subjected to almost daily when Voldemort had still been a threat. Harry's eyebrows furrowed. Except for Draco's. He had almost appeared concerned. Harry let out an incredulous laugh. Maybe he _had_ damaged his brain the night before.

"Are you feeling okay, Harry? That fall might have really-"

" _Hermione_ ," Harry hissed, looking away from the green and silver table and meeting his friend's sheepish gaze. "No one was supposed to know about that," he said in a harsh whisper, not addressing the red-headed witch, sitting across from him, who had spoken to him.

"It's all right, Harry. Your secret's safe with me," Ginny Weasely said as she leaned forward and placed a hand over top his. "I was wondering, would you want to study with me this evening in the common room?" she asked, her tone quietly hopeful.

Harry forced a smile and pulled his hand away gently. "Thanks, Ginny, but I'm studying with Hermione already."

"Oh, I see," the witch said softly, looking down at her lap, her hair falling down and obscuring her face in the process.

"You can come too, Ginny," Hermione offered quickly.

Harry's lips pressed together firmly as his friend shot him an apologetic grimace before turning away to give her the week's password. He reminded himself that Ginny had acknowledged they wouldn't be getting back together over the summer when Harry had finally gotten the nerve to tell his best friend's little sister he wasn't interested anymore.

Well, he actually had come to the conclusion he never had been interested to begin with—not really—but he hadn't had the nerve to tell her that. So he had instead stumbled over his apology, telling her he had decided he couldn't date his best mate's sister, that is just wasn't on, and that they should remain just friends - completely leaving out the bit where he had come to the realization in a pub the week before, after snogging a muggle guy a couple years older than him, that he enjoyed kissing blokes much more than any girl he had ever kissed, her included.

Harry lifted his pumpkin juice and took a sip, feeling much better. No. There was nothing to worry about. She had said she understood completely. He glanced up to meet wide, brown eyes gazing at him with an expression that had him looking away and stifling a cough. Nothing to worry about at all.

* * *

Draco strode down the last hallway towards his dorm. The arched windows letting in a cool breeze as the sun set behind the tree-line of the Forbidden Forest, the orange sky drawing attention to where his life had begun to fall apart. Life. He snorted at the word as his mother's unread note weighed heavily in his pocket. His lips twitched. He was going to read it, but not until he had certain privacy. It could contain sensitive material after all.

He pushed open the door to his common room to see three Gryffindors sitting on the red couch. Granger was sitting beside Potter, who was sitting beside... Weasley's little sister. The witch was sitting rather close to the wizard, who was looking up at him with a look of guarded anticipation. The Gryffindor thought he was going to say something insulting.

Draco smirked. He had indeed been about to do that exact thing, but perhaps not. "Hello, Harry," he said simply.

Dark eyebrows shot up under an equally dark fringe. "Hello... Draco," Harry replied with noted hesitance.

The blond ignored the looks of shock their greeting had garnered from the two witches, particularly the red- head, who had inched even closer to Harry since his arrival almost to the point where their legs were touching. He sat down on the black sofa, placing his bag on the cushion beside him and making himself appear comfortable as the muscles in his shoulders and neck rebelled, the one in his mouth following quickly.

"All we're missing now is a portrait of Godric Gryffindor to hang over the fireplace."

* * *

Harry and Draco sat alone in the common room, working on their DADA project. Hermione had ushered an unwilling Ginny up to her dorm only a few minutes after the Slytherin had shown up much to Harry's surprise. It was almost as if she was giving them privacy. Harry's lips quirked to the side as he began to read again from the book in his lap.

"What about this? We could make a spell that would incapacitate lake mermaids," Harry said, shivering at the memory of the vicious creatures he had encountered in fourth year.

Draco didn't bother looking up from his book as he sat across from him on the center cushion of the black leather couch. "No, there's already a spell for that," he said in a distracted voice as he continued searching the text. Perhaps a-

" _There is_?"

Draco looked up slowly. "Yes, _of course_ there is. Dumbledore created it when they had them shipped in for the Tri-Wizard tournament in fourth year." He noticed the look of shock on the wizard's face. "You didn't know that?"

Harry blinked slowly. "No, I didn't. How did you?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders as he looked back down at the text. He turned the page. "My godfather." He ignored the lump in his throat at the mention of the deceased Potions professor.

"Oh... I'm-I'm sorry. I didn't know," Harry said quietly.

Draco didn't respond. What would be a good spell? Maybe something to do with vampires. Or was that too morbid? He chewed on the inside of his cheek as he thought over it.

"Draco?"

The blond glanced up, shooting the wizard an arched look. "Yes - Harry?"

Harry swallowed hard. "Maybe-" He hesitated, unsure if what he was about to say would be taken poorly. He hadn't even gone over the idea that much. It had just kind of popped into his head and then tried to escape through his mouth. Maybe it was a bad idea.

Draco raised one platinum eyebrow.

Harry cleared his throat and scooted forward on the couch, running a hand through his messy hair. "Maybe we-" He pressed his lips together tightly between his teeth, losing his nerve again.

Draco blinked. "Is that all?" he asked in an unimpressed voice, his lips pulling tightly to the right in impatience.

"No, what I-" Harry stopped again. He took in a deep breath, held it for a moment and then let it out in a huff. "Maybe we could be friends," he said in a rush.

Draco held his chin in place when it tried to drop in a rather uncouth manner, his eyebrows lifting in his distracted state. Harry Potter wanted to be his friend? He thought the wizard hated him or at least disliked him a considerable amount.

"Friends?" he asked slowly, letting the word roll around on his tongue as if he were tasting its palatability. It was surprisingly not unpleasant. His gaze narrowed suddenly, and he leaned back in his seat and shot the wizard a suspicious look. "Is this your way of trying to keep an eye on me? Because I'm quite fine on my own. I don't _need_ a babysitter."

"No." Harry shook his head forcefully. "No, I just... we're partners for this and then for Potions. And, and well, there have been other things..." He dropped off as he thought of the times they had saved each other during the war, feeling uncomfortable bringing them up for some reason.

Draco nodded slightly, deciding not to pick on the wizard's non-eloquent ways at that moment. "It doesn't bother you what I am?"

"Well, it'll take some getting used to. But, no, not really."

The blond thought for a moment. He had wanted to be the wizard's friend in first year, but that had been mostly because he was famous. He wasn't sure how he felt about the offer just then, but with his new situation, friends would most likely prove to not only be highly beneficial but necessary, especially from someone held in such high regard in the wizarding community.

His gaze quickly ran over the wizard. Not to mention his undeniably pleasing scent and touch. Venom began to pool in his mouth, and he felt the distinct urge to take in a deep breath, which he had been avoiding in the wizard's presence. He swallowed quickly and pushed away the impulse, berating himself mentally.

"How about we try acquaintances who don't hate each other first?" he forced out in a deliberate manner as he pointedly ignored the overwhelming feeling that he was making a huge mistake.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, sure," he said, his hand finding his hair again. " _How_ is that different than what we are now?" he asked hesitantly.

Draco tilted his head to the side slightly, his sharp gaze catching the very end of a bandage peeking out from the wizard's sleeve as he messed with his hair. "Small talk for one. Such as - did you fall off your broom last night?" he asked the question somewhat abruptly.

"I'm sorry?" Harry straightened, his hand dropping and his posture noticeably stiffening at the query.

"Your broom, Potter. Did you fall off it?" he asked in an even tone, his gaze narrowing at the wizard's suddenly tense demeanor.

"No. No, I haven't done that in ages. Why?"

Draco frowned. He looked like he was lying. But why? He shook his head and softened his gaze. "No reason. Just some gossip."

"Right." The wizard nodded as his gaze flitted around the room quickly. "Ah, listen, I should, I should probably go. It's gotten late."

The blond nodded, finding himself holding back a smile at the wizard's words. "Yes, it's almost a quarter past nine," he said dryly.

"Yeah. Sorry," the dark-haired Gryffindor responded in a distracted tone as he stood up quickly, his book dropping to the floor in his eagerness to get out of the room.

Draco watched in amusement as the wizard leaned over to grab his dropped book, hitting his head soundly on the nearby table in the process. A breath of a laugh escaped his lips when Harry stood up, rubbing his forehead with a sheepish grin directed at him and said rather ineloquently, "Ow."

He shook his head and looked away from the somehow infectious expression, a small smile pushing persistently at the corners of his stubborn mouth. "You're a mess, Potter."

 


	5. Chapter 5

Draco listened to the sound of the door shutting behind him, signaling the departure of his project partner. He set down his text and breathed in deeply for the first time in hours. His eyes fell shut as the wizard's scent made his mouth begin to pool with venom. He groaned and leaned his head back against the sofa, his hands coming up to rub at his eyes. He couldn't be friends with him, not when all he wanted to do was either touch or bite him, because he was almost positive the wizard wouldn't appreciate either. A dry laugh escaped his lips. He should have just turned him down immediately.

He had re-read the books again, and his findings were disconcerting to say the least. He had been right about the reason why Harry's touch had had an effect on his vampirism. He had leeched some of the wizard's life magic from him unknowingly. A wizard's life magic was intrinsically bound to their life, hence the name, and was why they were more resilient and lived much longer lives than muggles. However, unlike muggles, they required it to _stay_ alive.

The only problem with the explanation - and why he had thought there might be another reason - had been that Harry Potter's health was _not_  waning. If Draco had indeed leeched the magic from him then Harry should have been very sick afterward - or dead. The only explanation he'd come to so far was that perhaps the vampire who had bitten him had been an unknown one, and he could somehow take or use the energy in a way without causing any harm. He would need to do more research.

Draco shifted in his seat. And there was still the problem that he wanted to bite him. It hadn't been a huge surprise to the blond that he did, not in retrospect at least. Despite giving Harry a hard time throughout their schooling he had always found the Gryffindor begrudgingly attractive with his annoyingly-wild black hair, his incredible seeker abilities and raw magical power.

No, Draco had not been surprised at all when he had wanted to bite him. But, he _had_ been surprised when he had wanted to bite him more than _anyone_ else in the whole blasted castle and couldn't seem to control himself around him - and the reason for that was not something he wanted to entertain for even a moment. He had things to do. He opened his eyes and pushed himself off the couch. He adjusted his tie. He would make a quick trip to the library. Maybe check the restricted section for more information.

* * *

Harry walked out of the prefect common room, stopping in the hallway just outside to gather his wits. How had Draco heard about his incident? His mind flitted back to the night before without warning, and he remembered being on his broom. He had lost his grip in the heavy rain and distinctly remembered watching it dip the first few yards along with him on his descent - a safety measure that had been enchanted into all the new brooms.

He hadn't reached for it.

He felt his chest clench tightly. Why hadn't he reached for it? Madam Pomfrey had asked him that question, and he had lied, saying that he had but that his hands had been slick from the rain. The truth was though, he didn't know. He swallowed hard as the tension in his chest continued to grow, a knot forming in his throat and making it hard to breathe as his vision began to grow unfocused.

An unexpected clicking sound from behind jerked him from his musings, and he spun around to see Draco standing with his hand on the door.

" _Malfoy_ ," he blurted, the surname falling from his lips in an accusing fashion before he could stop it as he tried to calm down. "What are you doing out here?"

The vampire shot him a quick look of concern before the expression vanished to be replaced by one of indifference. "I worry about your long-term memory retention, Potter. These are _my_ rooms and sometimes I must leave them." He walked out into the hallway fully, letting the door shut behind him. "This is the only exit," the blond added when his words didn't seem to have an impact on the suspicious wizard.

"Oh. Right," Harry said, a hand shooting up and messing his hair as he tried to keep the stress he was feeling off his features. They stood in silence for a long moment. "Do you need something?" he asked when the wizard didn't stalk off as predicted and was instead studying him rather openly with an inscrutable look.

"No." Draco shot a quick glance left and then right before taking a step closer to Harry and asking in a surprisingly hesitant voice, "Is there something wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry?" he asked shortly, confusion pushing his eyebrows together and distracting him from the tension in his chest.

The blond took another step closer, something in the wizard's demeanor making him want to stay. "I mean, you're just acting a bit... different."

"No I'm not," Harry retorted too quickly to sound convincing.

Draco blinked and then nodded slightly. "Yes you are."

Harry's jaw clenched. "How would you know? We barely ever talk," he said, taking a step back, feeling the anxiety begin to rise in his chest again.

Draco nodded at that. "True. But I've been in school with you since we were eleven, and I'm very observant - and you do seem off." He unconsciously moved forward to close the space between them again. "So, what is it?"

Harry looked up into grey eyes. "Nothing. There's _nothing_ wrong or - or off or different," he said in irritation, the blond's closeness unnerving him and making his words even more untrue. Why was he standing so close? " _You're_ the one acting off."

Draco arched one eyebrow. "Yes, well I _am_ a vampire now," he said simply, the word sounding from his mouth surprising both him and the dark-haired wizard. He hadn't said that out loud before, at least not without a bucket of loathing to accompany it. He sniffed, jerking his mind sharply back to the conversation he preferred. "So what's your excuse?" he asked more curtly, irritation growing in him at whatever was making him so concerned for the Gryffindor wizard's well-being.

Harry shook his head. "I'm fine," he said firmly.

Draco nodded again, the movement more slight, his jaw tensing at the obvious lie as he caught sight again of the bandage peaking out of the wizard's sleeve. He reached out and grabbed the wizard's arm and pushed up his sleeve in a split-second. He looked down to see a bandage covering his entire forearm. "Harry. How did this-" He stopped suddenly, his sharp gaze having narrowed on a single pinpoint of _red_ in the center of the bandage. He swallowed hard.

He was bleeding.

He instinctively took in a deep breath, and the ambrosia-like scent filled his senses and lungs, dancing on his taste buds.

"Draco, are you... all right?" Harry asked, hesitantly, as the blond held his bicep in a vice-like grip, staring down at his arm - which he had torn open quite thoroughly on a bleacher's edge in his fall.

Draco barely made out a voice as his brain worked quickly to shut down his higher-mental faculties, a cold feeling rushing into his veins and filling his mind as his gaze remained locked on the deep red stain. He smiled. "You're bleeding," he said softly.

Harry blinked. _Oh shit_. He tried to pull his arm away, but pale fingers tightened immediately around it. "Yeah. I. I am. It's nothing. Just got too close to the Whomping Willow," he lied.

Draco shook his head. "You should be more careful, Harry," he said in a smooth voice, his gaze slowly running up the wizard's arm and settling on his neck, a pulse visible just below his chin. He let out a slow breath, and red lips parted slightly.

Harry licked his own lips nervously as the tips of sharp canines revealed themselves. "Draco. What are you doing?" he asked, his voice filling with alarm when the blond began to lean in closer to him.

The vampire's smile grew, his gleaming white teeth inching towards the soft skin. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you, Harry," he murmured.

Harry held himself perfectly still, his muscles coiling in apprehension as his wand sat in his inside robe pocket unhelpfully. Maybe he could talk to him. "No and, ah, why's that?"

The vampire laughed softly as he neared the pulsing artery, the sound of blood whooshing thickly through it reaching his keen ears. Or perhaps he was only imagining it. "Why indeed. Maybe I'm lying."

Harry's breathing sped up, and cold puffs of air began to brush the skin on his neck, the feeling somehow heating the area instead of cooling it. " _Draco_ ," he whispered as red lips, concealing fang-like canines hovered just over his neck.

"Yes, Harry?" the vampire murmured back and then pressed his lips gently on the skin directly over his pulse.

"You're. Ah. Wha-what are you doing?" he asked in an uneven voice, his pulse thumping in his ears as it began to race wildly under the gentle touch, eliciting a moan from the blond that vibrated against his skin. "Oh shit," he gasped, feeling lips slowly parting. He was going to be bitten. Draco Malfoy was going to bite him. He should have known. He—all thoughts froze when something began to slide slowly along his neck, something soft but firm and wet that made a gasp escape his lips unbidden as the feeling shot down into his groin. Draco was licking him.

Draco felt a growl rumble in his chest softly as his tongue ran along hot skin, his body responding to the contact and heat flooding his core, the wizard's taste coating his tongue. He stopped just below his ear. "Harry," he whispered.

"Y-yeah?" Uneven breaths filled the air.

"You taste really good." The hushed words elicited a gasp that caused the vampire's mouth to coat with venom. He reached up and cupped the wizard's neck with his right hand, running his thumb against the tempting skin with a feather-light touch. It would be so easy. He could be gentle. Maybe Harry would even like it.

Harry found his gaze dropping to red lips, red lips that had just been pressed against his neck. His breath grew more unsteady as he struggled to think of a response. "Thanks?" he finally forced out in a rough voice as he tried to figure out why he wasn't even attempting to stop him as his heart pounded wildly in his chest.

Draco smiled, and then he began to lean down again, his thumb gently pushing the wizard's chin up to expose the other side of his neck more properly. He breathed in deeply as he prepared to bite, and his mind was bombarded with conflicting information. Want warred with apprehension. Something wasn't right. He just didn't know what.

He clenched his teeth together tightly, fighting to think through the haze of the wizard's intoxicating scent, and he slowly began to realize what he was about to do. He didn't think he could pull away, but he didn't want to bite him either. He felt himself leaning forward again, his body clearing disagreeing with his latter thought, and then his mouth pressed right below the wizard's chin. "I can't stop," he whispered in a pained voice.

Harry's eyes widened. " _What_?"

Draco's mouth moved up towards the wizard's lips, and he hovered just in front of them, his left hand ran up and grasped the other side of Harry's neck. "I want to bite you so much. _Help_ me."

The Gryffindor's breath caught in his chest as Draco's cool breath brushed his lips. "What can I do?"

Draco thought for only a second and then forced out the words, "Touch me."

Harry nodded. "Right." He reached his hands up and set them hesitantly on Draco's chest. "How's this?"

Draco felt the urge lessen somewhat. "Yeah, that helps," he said, his words still strained as he continued to fight to hold back.

Harry felt Draco's heart pounding under his right hand. He shifted his hand away from the unnerving feeling, and he heard a small sigh escape the blond's lips. "That helped?"

The vampire nodded only slightly, his eyes still clenched shut as he remained perfectly still otherwise, afraid of what he might do if he moved.

Harry considered his options. Draco hadn't tried to bite him when they had been on the sofa, but they had been leaning against each other without their shirts. Harry's gaze flicked back up to red lips, and a thought began to form in his mind. Maybe a more intimate touch was needed to rid him of the urge. _No_ , his mind protested immediately. He shoved the rational thought away forcefully—he didn't want to be bitten—inhaled sharply and then leaned up and pressed tense lips against Draco's mouth.

He felt hands push him, and he thought the blond was protesting as he began to step back, but Draco matched his steps, their lips remaining pressed against each other's until his back hit the wall and a portrait, if the noises were any indicator. Draco's body pressed firmly up against his, clearing his mind of anything other than their closeness and lips that moved eagerly against his, parting, his own mouth opening in response.

Draco's tongue pushed into Harry's mouth, and feelings he had never known before began to course through his entire body. He felt warm—alive—more alive than even before he had been bitten. His heart pounded fiercely in his chest, and his fingers felt like they were on fire as they grasped hold of the wizard's neck as if they were afraid to lose him. _Harry. Harry. Harry._

Grey eyes popped open. _Harry–_ No _._ He jerked back, his hands dropping to his sides. He looked down in shock at the dark-haired wizard whose eyes were still shut.

Harry slowly opened his eyes, his chest heaving and lips parted, to find Draco... _gone_. He was standing in the hallway alone, the blond wizard nowhere in sight. He pushed himself off the wall when the sound of sheep in distress finally reached his sluggish brain. He turned to see a herd of them running around the painting in distress, bumping into each other.

An incredulous laugh escaped his lips, and a hand shot up to cover the patch of skin the Slytherin had _licked._ He rubbed the area trying to rid himself of the memory of the feeling as he began to walk in the direction of Gryffindor tower, completely unsure of what to make of the event.

* * *

"Why are we doing this again?" Blaise asked with a grin as he pulled off his shirt, tossing it onto a nearby chair, and then climbed atop Draco's bed in only his slacks.

"I told you - to see if your body's proximity will have any effect on my vampirism, _Blaise_ ," Draco snapped as he too pulled off his shirt. It was only Friday night, and his eyes had already gone black, and he was on edge. _It's probably from being around Potter so much._

Ever since he had snogged the Gryffindor it felt like they were constantly running into each other despite Harry having missed their last two Potions classes, and Draco having Head Boy 'responsibilities' during their planned DADA meeting time all week. However, they did still have half their classes together, and he was sharing a common room with the wizard's best friend. Maybe he just hadn't been actively avoiding him enough. Or maybe Harry was-

"You know, Draco," the dark-skinned wizard said with an even bigger grin, pulling him from his musings. "If you want to shag, you can just ask."

Draco rolled his eyes and climbed into the bed beside his friend. "Yes, I'm well aware that you're a slag, Zabini," he said as he scooted closer to the wizard carefully. Maybe his idea hadn't been such a great one. Harry was after all an exceptional wizard. Perhaps he could just handle more. He didn't want to hurt his friend.

Blaise let out a laugh and then scooted toward the preoccupied blond, closing the space between them. "You're such a prude," he whispered teasingly.

"No, I just prefer to like someone before I sleep with them," Draco countered, waiting for something. Anything.

Nothing happened. "You're _really_ cold."

"I know." Draco closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the wizard's body resting against him. He could feel the heat from him, but it was like it was just pressed against him but couldn't make it past his skin for some reason. He let out a growl. "It's not working. Forget it."

"No, wait, give it a minute," Blaise insisted, wrapping his arm around and pulling him tighter. He nuzzled his face into the crook of his neck. "Do all vampires smell so good?"

Draco huffed a laugh and then let out a slow breath, trying to relax like he had the week before when it had been Harry pressed against him.

* * *

"Harry! What are you doing here? I thought you were going flying," Hermione said with a warm smile as she sat on the couch in her common room. She had her feet tucked under her and a book in her lap, a cup of tea in her hands.

"Yeah, I am." Harry smiled tightly as he approached, holding a text on enchantment creations, a page marked on troll protective qualities. "I just have this book I wanted to give Malfoy," he said quickly, trying not to grimace when he said the wizard's name. He figured he could give him the book, Draco could respond with another if he wanted, and then they could figure out a way to split up the work needed to create the spell - somehow - he was sure. There was no need to work on it together, not really.

Hermione's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, right. You're a group, I almost forgot. You two haven't been working together lately, have you?" she said curiously and when Harry didn't respond with more than a shrug she motioned to the blond's dorm. "He's in his room right now."

Harry glanced over at the shut door. "Oh. Well, I don't want to bother him..."

Hermione shrugged. "Zabini is in there, I'm sure he won't mind."

Harry nodded slowly. He ran a hand through his hair. "Right. Well, I'll just... go over and knock then."

Hermione quirked a small smile. "All right." Harry stood in place as he eyed the door, suddenly feeling rather awkward. "Harry?"

The dark-haired wizard started. He looked over to his friend, who was smiling sweetly at him.

"Are you going to go over?"

Harry nodded again. "Yeah. Yeah." He walked over and knocked on the door.


	6. Chapter 6

Draco leaned back, looking over his shoulder at the sound of a knock on the door. He resisted the urge to inhale deeply to check the identity of the person on the other side. It was just odd. He moved to get up.

"Oh, that's just Pansy," Blaise said, holding him in place. "I told her what we were planning, and she asked if she could help." He grabbed his wand off the nightstand behind him and swung the door open with a flick of the wrist.

Harry stood frozen, his hand still lifted as if he were going to knock again. He stared blankly at the two wizards in the bed. "Oh. Uh. I." He blinked, his hand dropping as his mind scrambled to make a coherent thought. He lifted the book. "I brought this-"

Draco pushed himself away from his friend and climbed out of the bed quickly, standing in only his slacks. " _Harry_. I. I mean. Potter." He pressed his lips firmly together. _Get yourself together Draco_. He heard Blaise sniggering behind him.

"Hello Potter, care to join us?" Blaise asked in a silky smooth tone.

Harry blinked. "I-I'm sorry?"

Draco spun around and shot his friend the darkest look he could muster, Blaise dropping back and muttering an apology. He swung back to look at Harry. "What do you want, Potter? Spit it out, I'm busy." He clenched his jaw, refusing to take back his words when green eyes widened and muffled laughter sounded from behind him, the blond realizing too late what he had said.

Harry swallowed, his gaze shifting around the room in lieu of the wizard's bare torso. "Oh. I just brought this book for you.. for our project," he said, holding the text in his hand out but not approaching, wanting nothing more than to toss the book and leave as he cursed his friend mentally for telling him to knock. Why had they opened the door in the first place? He didn't know Draco was seeing anyone. Thoughts of their encounters over the past couple weeks flitted through his mind. Why hadn't he told him?

Draco rolled his eyes and walked forward, taking the book from him. "Is that all?" he asked shortly. Harry nodded and then found himself speaking, "So, you and-"

" _No_. Blaise and I are not a couple," Draco snapped, not exactly sure why he felt the need to explain his and Blaise's relationship. So what if the Gryffindor thought they were together? It didn't matter.

"Oh," The dark-haired wizard said, his eyebrows shooting up.

Draco held back a growl. "And we're not _shagging_ either." He waited for the wizard behind him to make some kind of snarky retort but none came.

Harry nodded slowly. "All right. I mean... If you were - that's fine," he said somewhat hesitantly.

Draco scoffed, "I know it is. But we're _not_."

Harry shot him a look of disbelief. "Of course. Well, let me know what you think," he said quickly, gesturing to the book in the blond's hand.

Draco took a step closer, his hand tightening its grip on the text and his eyes narrowing in an accusatory fashion. "You don't believe me."

Harry looked over the blond's shoulder and then back at him. "Well," he hedged. "You were just _hugging_ in your bed."

Blaise snorted.

"He was trying to help me with something," Draco explained coolly. Blaise let out a sharp laugh, Harry's eyebrows shooting up even higher.

Draco clenched his jaw. "Not like _that_. I mean. I was cold, and he was trying to warm me up." He waited for the wizard to acquiesce only to find a small smile forming at the corners of his mouth instead as Blaise laughed even harder into a pillow.

Draco lifted an icy hand and placed it on the wizard's neck. " _See_?" he snapped, but suddenly all he could focus on was the sudden warmth blooming in his chest and spreading out in tendrils. 

He sucked in a sharp breath and took a step back, his hand falling from the wizard's skin and clenching into a tight fist by his side. He had definitely just taken something from Harry, and it had been a considerable amount if the warmth coursing through his veins and entire body could be trusted.

Harry blinked. He had felt a jolt of something when the blond's hand had made contact with his neck. The dull, persistent stagnancy he had grown numb to over the years had disappeared for a moment. He looked to the blond to see if he had noticed and found himself staring into grey eyes once more.

 "You should go," Draco said in a tight voice. He took a measured step back, his knuckles turning white as his hand clamped down on the book harder as he fought the urge to touch the wizard again. No, he didn't want to touch him. He wanted his life. He wanted to drain his life from him.

Harry studied the tense wizard for a moment. If he had felt something it didn't appear to be pleasant by his response. He nodded silently before turning to leave the room.

* * *

Draco sat early the next day looking down at his plate, trying to decide what on it would taste the least disgusting. His gaze ran over the eggs, bacon and toast with complete distaste.

"Pansy, who are you going to Hogsmeade with tomorrow?" Blaise asked from his left side.

Draco picked up a piece of toast. It didn't look that bad. He took a small bite and resisted the urge to spit the food back out. He had been wrong. He chewed with regret.

"I still haven't decided. What about you?" Pansy replied from the blond's right side. "Ah, I'm glad you asked - because I was thinking of asking Potter actually."

Draco swallowed hard, forcing the food down his unwilling throat. His gaze lifted slowly as he turned to his friend. "What did you say?"

Blaise smirked. "I said Potter. He's quite fit, don't you think, Draco?"

Grey eyes hardened. "What's your angle?"

His friend laughed, raising his hands in a mockingly appeasing gesture. "No angle. Does that upset you?" he asked in an overly innocent voice.

"No. Of course it doesn't, don't be _ridiculous_ ," Draco replied curtly. He glanced over at the Gryffindor wizard. "What makes you think he'd even be interested?"

"I'm going to assume you're referring to his gender preferences," Blaise retorted smoothly.

Draco tilted his chin up in a slight nod, his gaze still trained on the wild-haired wizard, who was sitting by himself at the Gryffindor table.

"Well you see," the wizard said, his voice growing softer as he leaned in closer. "It seems the Chosen One spent some time in the pubs at Diagon Alley this past summer..."

Draco lifted an eyebrow. "And?" he asked, attempting to sound indifferent as his body began to hum with an unidentifiable emotion.

"Oh, I heard about _that_ ," Pansy said in a hushed tone.

Draco looked between his two friends who appeared to be having a silent conversation. " _Well_?" he asked sharply.

Blaise smiled slowly. "He was spotted snogging Viktor Krum."

Draco cleared his throat, the news for some reason not settling well with him. "So now you want a go at him because of your fascination with Krum?"

"No, I would have asked Potter long ago had I known of his proclivities."

Pansy nodded. "He is rather good-looking, especially if he'd learn to fix his hair."

Draco blinked slowly as the uncomfortable feeling in his body began to concentrate in his chest. He breathed out slowly.

"No, I like it like that. It's sexy, looks like he's just been ravaged." The feeling in his chest began to grow, his eyes narrowing.

Pansy hummed. "I suppose. He does have a nice arse too."

Blaise laughed. "Yeah he does, I'd like to-"

" _Shut. Up_ ," Draco said, shoving himself up from his seat. He glared down at his two friends.

"Something _wrong_ , Draco?" Blaise asked in a slow voice as Pansy shot the blond a look of surprise. "You weren't planning on asking Potter yourself were you?"

Draco sneered, "Yes, you figured me out, Blaise. I was going to ask Potter to Hogsmeade."

Blaise suppressed a smile. "My apologies. Go on then," he said in a benevolent tone, gesturing towards the Gryffindor. "Have at it."

The blond held back a list of expletives as he glared harshly at the far too amused wizard. He thought it was all a joke. "Why don't you ask him for me?" he replied dryly and then turned and stalked off.

* * *

"Harry, good to meet you, Blaise Zabini."

Harry looked up from his plate to see Draco's friend grinning at him as if they were good mates. "Hello, Zabini."

"Please. Call me Blaise, Harry," the wizard said with a wink.

Harry nodded slightly. "All right - _Blaise_. Can I help you with something?" he asked slowly.

Blaise's grin grew. "Yes, in fact you _can_. Mind if I sit?" he asked, motioning to the seat across from him. Harry nodded and took a bite of bacon.

The Slytherin sat down and glanced around the Gryffindor table casually before training his gaze back on the wizard sitting across from him. "So, Harry." He smiled widely. "I was wondering if you'd like to go to Hogsmeade with Draco tomorrow."

Harry sucked in a surprised breath and began to choke on the bacon he had still been chewing. He picked up his glass, taking a sip of pumpkin juice and then setting it back down. He cleared his throat. " _I'm sorry_?"

"Hogsmeade with Draco. He needs a date." Blaise leaned forward over the table. "What do you say?"

* * *

"Harry. Harry, are you listening to me?"

 "Hm?" Harry asked as he pushed himself more upright.

"I asked if you got any sleep last night. You look dreadful."

Harry blinked a few times to clear his cloudy vision and looked over at the witch. She was sitting beside him in the Gryffindor common room. "Oh, yeah. Some," he mumbled.

"Why did you want to meet here?" Hermione asked as she pulled out her potions book to get a few minutes of studying in before they left for Hogsmeade.

Harry yawned. "Oh. Uh, just thought it'd be nice for some privacy is all."

The witch looked around the busy common room and back to her friend, shooting him an arched look. " _Right_. Harry, listen, I know Ron isn't here for you this year and that's been hard for you..."

Harry stiffened at the sound of concern in his friend's voice. "I have Finnegan," he said defensively.

The witch blinked. "Harry, what I'm trying to say is that I'm here for you. And that if you'd like to talk about- " she paused, looking around them before saying in a more quiet tone, "About guys you can. If you're having problems.."

"I'm not having problems. Why would you think I'm having problems?" Harry asked sharply, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.

Hermione sighed and scooted closer to her friend. "I know you feel bad about Ginny." Harry's jaw clenched.

"But Ron understands," she added quickly, "He wouldn't be upset if you decided to - to see someone. He doesn't expect you to be single just because things didn't work out between you two."

Harry nodded tersely. "I know that."

The witch glanced around again. "Then is there someone you fancy... or someone you're starting to have feelings towards?"

Harry stared at her. "No."

The witch shot him a look of disbelief. "Really? Are you _sure_?"

Harry shook his head firmly. "No, there's not. I'm sorry if you thought we were going to start chatting about all the blokes in Gryffindor after this Summer, but there's no one."

Hermione set her book down on the table in front of them. "What about in Slytherin then?"

Harry froze. " _Slytherin_?" he asked with an incredulous laugh, an uneasy feeling pressing at his chest. "No, I'm not into Zabini."

The witch nodding in understanding. "What about Draco?" she asked quickly.

Harry's eyes widened. There was no way she knew. She couldn't, because there was nothing to actually know. Zabini had clearly been playing a joke on Draco, because the blond would have never sent his friend over to ask him on a date. _A date_ , Harry scoffed. He had laughed the wizard off, telling him that if Draco met him at the front doors in the morning then he would take him up on his offer. Not likely. They'd had a few incidents sure, but it didn't mean he fancied him or liked him, and Harry definitely didn't feel anything towards him. The memory of the wizard's tongue sliding along his neck forced its way to the forefront of his mind. He shivered and then pushed the memory away.

" _Malfoy_?" he asked in the most disturbed voice he could muster.

"What about Malfoy?" Ginny asked curiously, having walked up unnoticed. She smiled and sat down beside Harry. "Hi Harry."

The wizard glared darkly at Hermione before turning to the red-head. "Hullo Ginny," he said hesitantly as the witch scooted closer.

"Harry, would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me today?" the witch asked with a sweet smile.

He opened his mouth to reply when Hermione spoke up for him. "Sorry, Ginny, Harry can't. He has a date." Harry turned slowly towards his friend, who was shooting him a look of reproof.

 


	7. Chapter 7

Draco gazed up at grey stones, his hands clasped over his chest as he lay in his bed, the sheets still made up and the sun just beginning to brighten the Head Boy's room. Not that he needed the light or the blankets. The former was unnecessary and the latter was maddeningly useless.

He closed his eyes and breathed out slowly. _Stop that_ , he chastised himself. He had been admittedly bitter ever since the incident, but he couldn't seem to pull himself out of it. The tall blond groaned and rolled over onto his stomach, laying there only for a moment before pushing himself up and off the bed with resolve.

He began to make his way towards his bathroom, but stopped a few steps short of it, his gaze drifting over to the still unopened letter set on his desk top. He found himself walking over to the desk and sitting down in the chair. He scooted forward, slowly reaching out and picking up the unread note. He flipped it over to look at his name, his fingers tracing his mother's writing as an apprehension filled his body.

 _It'll be fine. It wasn't my fault. She won't care. She didn't care when she found out I wasn't going to supply them with an heir._ He snorted. Although he wasn't sure if being gay could be compared to having been turned into a blood-thriving beast.

He flipped the letter back over and picked up his letter opener with determination; he had avoided it long enough. He slid it under the fold, pulling the wax seal away from the underlying parchment and slowly opened the letter. He took in a slow breath and began to read.

_Dearest Draco,_

_I have received news from Headmistress McGonagall regarding your accident. I am beyond relieved to hear that you are okay. Please let me know if you'd like to come home or if you need anything before your trip home for the holidays._

_With Love,  
Mother_

Draco stared at the parchment. She hadn't even addressed the subject that he was no longer classified as a wizard, that he was a vampire. It was as if she didn't feel any differently towards him. He set the note down on the desk, a relieved laugh falling from his lips as the anxiety that had been weighing him down ever since he had been bitten lessened dramatically. At least he didn't have to worry about losing his mother on top of all his problems. Home. She had offered to let him come home.

He stood back up and walked into the bathroom, his other concerns suddenly seeming a little less daunting.

* * *

"Draco, come on. We've got to hurry," Blaise said as soon as he pushed the door open to the Head Boy's dorm.

Draco continued to adjust his tie, his gaze narrowing on his friend. Why was he in such a rush? He thought back to the day before. There was no way Harry had said yes. Blaise was not his type. Not that he'd know Harry's-

"Draco, are you coming? Harry's waiting for you," the wizard said in a huff.

The blond looked up slowly. "Harry's waiting... for me?" he asked in a careful tone.

Blaise nodded, shooting him a look of impatience. "Yes, I asked him like you said, and he said to meet him at the front doors."

Draco's mouth dropped open. _No_. "You didn't."

Blaise smirked. "I did. Are you coming? Because if you're not, I'm going to take your place. I can only be so generous."

"He said _yes_?" Draco asked, careful to keep his tone neutral, not moving from his spot. There had to be some mistake. Even if Harry did fancy blokes there was no way he had any interest in him - a former Death Eater and a vampire. He had just tried to bite him the week before. Did the wizard want to die? He clenched his jaw. "I'm not going."

Blaise looked behind him into the common room before stepping in and letting the door shut behind him. "And why not?" he asked, his tone disapproving, making the blond want to talk even less.

Draco turned away and walked over to his desk. He sniffed nonchalantly as he began to fold his response to his mother's note. "I'm far too busy today, and besides I don't have _any_ interest in Potter." He picked up a bar of dark green wax and held it over the note as he lifted his wand, muttering a heating charm before lifting it closer to the wax.

"So you won't mind if I have a go at him then?"

Draco's lips pressed tightly together as he watched the wax drop onto the parchment, forming a small puddle. He lifted a stamp with his family's seal on it and pressed it firmly into the still hot wax. "No, not at all. I couldn't care less," he drawled in a cool voice even as his muscles began to tense. Have a go at him? What did _that_ mean? Did he only want to shag him? He looked up at his friend to see a salacious grin playing at the wizard's lips that only confirmed his suspicions. He scowled.

Blaise nodded in a seemingly impressed manner. "You almost pulled that off."

Draco narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. "I don't know what you mean by that," he said before lifting the stamp and then walking over to where his owl was perched on a stand by his window. He quickly laced the piece of rope attached to the note around the owl's leg and then watched as the bird flew out the window, his back facing his friend.

"He likes you too, you know. I can tell."

Draco let out a dry laugh and turned around. "I don't like Potter," he said firmly. He didn't. He couldn't. He _wouldn't_.

Blaise studied him for a long moment before nodding slowly. "All right. Then you won't mind?"

Draco hesitated only for a second before responding, "Not at all."

* * *

"Harry, _there_ you are!"

Harry looked over to see Blaise Zabini jogging towards him as he walked out of Honeyduke's with a chocolate bar in hand. "Oh, uh, hello Blaise," he said hesitantly, noting Draco walking behind him and looking decidedly unhappy, his expression stony.

"You weren't at the door," Blaise said somewhat breathless as he pulled up in front of the wizard.

Harry looked down quickly to study the chocolate in his hand. "Oh. Uh, yeah, well that was just a joke, right?" he asked hesitantly, suddenly feeling worse as he thought of the rather sullen blond. No. There was _no_ way. He looked like that half the time anyway. He glanced back up.

"Yeah, but I thought maybe you and I could walk around together. Maybe get a drink," he said in a smooth voice, shooting the wizard a winning smile.

Harry's eyes widened as he looked at the Slytherin, who was eyeing him with a look that was hard to misinterpret. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth to turn him down when Draco let out a harsh laugh as he joined them.

"You see Blaise, I was _right_ ," Draco sneered.

Harry watched the dark-skinned wizard's expression drop somewhat and felt a surge of anger. "Actually, I would _really_ like that, Blaise," he said a little too sharply, glaring at the blond.

The wizard glanced over with a surprised look that quickly shifted to a smug grin. "Excellent," he said and slung an arm around Harry's shoulder. "Where would you like to go, Harry?" he asked in a low voice.

Harry swallowed hard, suddenly regretting his snap decision. "Ah, The Three Broomsticks?" he asked.

Blaise nodded. "Sounds good," he said and began to guide the wizard down the sidewalk. "Coming Draco?" he asked over his shoulder with a grin in his voice.

* * *

Grey eyes narrowed as Draco watched his ex-best mate set his hand on Harry's thigh and give it a gentle squeeze. The three wizards were sitting at a table in the back corner of the busy pub.

"You're really funny, Harry," he said with a smile plastered on his face.

Harry laughed, shaking his head as he took a drink of the firewhiskey that Blaise had bought. The wizard was actually a lot of fun. Well, at least after two glasses of liquor he was. "That's because you're pissed. I'm not that funny, trust me."

"Modest too." Blaise's smile widened, and he scooted closer to the wizard. "Tell me, is Krum a good snog?"

Harry choked on his drink. He set his glass down as he coughed, his lungs trying to clear the firewhiskey from it. He shot a quick look around the pub. "How do you know about that?"

Blaise let out an excited laugh. "It's true then? Tell us." He shot Draco an arched look. "We won't tell anyone, will we, Draco?"

Draco set down the glass of firewhiskey he had been nursing despite knowing it would have no effect, having needed something to keep his hands busy. He resisted telling his friend what he really thought, his gaze cold as it shifted from Blaise to Harry. "No Harry, we won't say a _word_. Do tell," he said dryly.

Harry found himself staring into grey eyes. He cleared his throat. "You want to know if Krum is a good snog?" he asked the blond in undisguised disbelief.

Draco clenched his jaw. The question alone making him angry for some reason. He nodded slowly.

Harry looked down at his glass. "Yeah, I suppose he is."

Blaise let out a laugh. "I _knew_ it. That's bloody fantastic," he said happily, scooting even closer to Harry. He glanced over at Draco, who was glaring down into his glass. "Draco, I'm going to go order us some food. Keep Harry company for me, will you?"

The blond didn't look up. "Yeah sure." He saw Blaise walk off out of the corner of his vision.

"He's a nice guy," Harry said awkwardly.

Draco looked up, his expression dark as he scoffed mentally at the wizard's words. Blaise might be a 'nice guy', but he was not looking for a relationship with a bloke, even if it was Harry Potter. He had every intention of wedding a witch after school. "I didn't think he was your type. Don't Gryffindors have a rule against dating Slytherins?" he asked coolly.

Harry balked at the wizard's tone, a stubborn look settling on his features. "Maybe he is. What do you know?"

Draco glared darkly. "I know you were going to turn him down. Why the change of heart, _Potter_ , still feel the need to be the bloody hero and save everyone?" he asked sharply, sounding a little too much like he had before the war had ended but not caring.

Harry's eyes slowly narrowed to match his. "You don't have to be such a git, _Malfoy_."

Draco pushed himself up from the table. "That's where you're wrong. I do, because you're such a bloody _fool_ I can't help myself."

Harry stood up, his green eyes flashing dangerously. "You know what, I'm finished here. Tell Blaise I had to go." He pushed his way out of the busy pub, shoving the door open with a wave of his hand and striding purposefully out into the dark streets. He heard the door swing open again behind him as he made his way up the cobblestone road.

"Oi, Potter! _Potter_!" Draco shouted angrily as he forced himself into a jog. He grabbed the wizard's arm and spun him around.

"What the hell do you want, Malfoy?" Harry shouted, shoving the wizard in the chest and forcing him back a few steps.

"You can't just leave my friend like that."

Harry started laughing. "Right. Because you were _thrilled_ with us together."

Draco took a deliberate step forward, glaring down at the wizard. "Just what is that supposed to mean?"

Harry matched the movement, closing the gap between them and looking up at the slightly taller wizard. "I think you know _exactly_ what I mean."

Draco felt his body begin to respond to the wizard standing in front of him as venom began to coat his teeth. _No. No, not now_. "I should go." He made to leave.

Harry grabbed his arm before he could turn away. "I wasn't finished," he growled.

Draco tried to hold back but the next thing he knew he was shoving the wizard up against the outside of Honeyduke's. "Harry, I'm not in the mood right now."

Harry let out a harsh laugh. "Yeah, and why's that, Draco?"

The vampire moved closer until their chests were almost touching. "Because, I'm _hungry_. I haven't eaten in almost a week."

Harry blinked, realizing his mistake through the alcohol muddying his thoughts. Draco was a vampire - because of him. He reigned in his anger. "Oh... Right, sorry," he said in a more subdued voice.

Draco looked down at him, gritting his teeth at the infuriating apology. "I was trying to be helpful, believe it or not. Blaise isn't really boyfriend material," he said sharply, not sure why he was telling him such a thing. If Harry wasn't smart enough to figure that out it wasn't his problem.

Harry sighed, feeling relieved and guilty for it. "Yeah, I figured that." He looked over at The Three Broomsticks. "Do you think he's looking for us?"

Draco let out a clipped laugh. "Don't worry, he'll be fine."

Harry nodded, feeling somewhat better and looked down at the wizard's hands that were still on him. He looked up into black eyes. When had that happened? He was sure they had been grey inside the pub. He thought back to the other day before lifting a hand and placing it on the vampire's neck. He watched in surprise as black eyes slowly lightened, softening to their light grey color before shutting and the skin he was touching warmed under his hand, his own body feeling like a live current.

Draco swallowed hard and took a step back, Harry's hand dropping from his neck. "Don't. Do that," he said firmly in a tight voice, despite wanting the wizard to do anything but listen to him.

Harry studied the wizard closely, he looked upset just like before. "Did - did you feel that?" he asked hesitantly.

Draco eyed him coolly before saying in an unaffected drawl, "Your hand on my neck? Yes, it was hard to miss."

Harry rolled his eyes. "No, that's not what I mean," he paused and then continued in a quieter tone, "When I touched you... I felt something - like electric."

Draco shook his head and let out a patronizing laugh. "That's an awful pick up line, even for you, Potter."

Harry shook his head. "No, I'm serious, just now and the other day, didn't you feel it?" he asked, frustration forcing out his words quickly. He was sure he had noticed something too. Maybe he was going crazy.

Draco eyed the wizard warily as he considered whether he should tell him. He was sure if Harry told Granger she would know or be able to figure it out, but he didn't particularly want the witch to know the private details of his condition.

"Here, let me show you," Harry said in a persistent tone, his hand reaching up towards the blond's exposed skin.

Draco grabbed his hand to stop him. "Don't," he said curtly. "I know what you're talking about."

Harry looked down at their clasped hands but didn't pull away, feeling a small buzz where their skin touched, his body relaxing, making it easier for him to breathe, but at the same time wiring him up as the blood began to race in his veins in anticipation of something. He swallowed hard. "What is it?"

Draco took a step closer not able to resist as the wizard's touch affected him far too much. He knew he should pull away, it wasn't safe. "It's your life magic. I'm taking it," he said softly.

Harry nodded slightly as he looked at red lips that he had kissed only the week before, finding he wanted to do it again. "Oh."

Draco blinked. The connection between them growing stronger as he felt his feet drawing him closer, his free hand reaching up. He ran his thumb gently along the wizard's lower lip. "You have a death wish, Harry?" he murmured, his lips parting slightly as his eager mind supplied another way to help the wizard if that was indeed the case, a surge of venom coating his teeth.

Harry didn't respond but instead found himself grabbing the wizard's shirt and pulling him a few inches closer until their lips were almost touching. "Do you have some kind of vampire charms?" he asked as he barely resisted kissing the blond. There had to be a reason he was feeling the way he was.

Draco's lips turned up into a smirk as his body thrummed under the wizard's touch. "I do, but I'm not using them." He paused and then asked in an innocently polite voice he would use to offer his Potions notes for the week, "Would you like me to show you?"

Harry nodded, almost not believing the wizard, his breath uneven. "Yeah. All right."

Draco breathed out slowly letting himself relax and willing the Gryffindor to want to please him as he had the night in the hospital wing after he had been bitten, when he had been furious with the wizard. He watched as green eyes slowly fell shut, a thrill running up through him at the simple action he had caused. "Do you feel that, Harry?"

Harry nodded, his mind mush and his body warming under the words, wanting, needing the vampire's touch. "I think so."

Draco's tongue darted out, wetting his lips. It would be easy to bite him now, maybe he could just taste a little. It wouldn't be so bad. He ran the back of his hand softly along the wizard's neck, holding back a groan as he felt the blood thumping deliciously just below its surface. He breathed in deeply and his lids grew heavy. "Do you want me, Harry?" he asked, his voice a whisper as he shifted closer.

Harry's breath hitched at the words. " _Fuck_."

Draco felt his lips pull up at the corners, taking the response for assent. "I wouldn't have thought you could be any less articulate," he teased even as he mentally agreed with the sentiment, the wizard's nearness testing the tenuous hold on his control. His sharp gaze trailed the wizard's neck once more before he pulled his charms back, the action feeling uncomfortable and unnatural with his target so close.

Harry felt his mind slowly begin to clear. He blinked a few times to find Draco standing in front of him still, studying him with an odd expression. "What's wrong?"

Grey eyes flicked down to his mouth. "Nothing."

Harry licked his lips, noticing the vampire watching the action and shifting closer as he did, causing his pulse to speed up once more. "Are you still using them?"

Draco shook his head ever so slightly. "No," he whispered huskily.

"Shit," Harry cursed under his breath and then found himself leaning toward him, his mouth slowly moving closer when Draco closed the gap with a quick movement, capturing his lips with his own.

The dark-haired wizard let out a startled noise as hands reached around his waist pulling him closer, but then his own hands were moving up and grabbing the wizard's neck as he tilted his head, his mouth opening.

Draco tried to think as his arms wrapped more firmly around the wizard, his lips parting when a tongue ran along it, Harry's hands sliding up into his hair and making him groan under the pleasure of his touch. _Mine_ , flashed through his mind, his hands agreeing as they tried to run all over the wizard's body, claiming it for his own.

Harry felt Draco begin to tug insistently at his shirt's hem, and then long fingers were sliding up under and running smoothly along his skin, heating his entire body and making him want to do things he really shouldn't with Draco Malfoy. A low groan rumbled in his chest.

"There you— _Oh_... My my my."

Draco pulled away as Harry pushed him back, and the two wizards' gazes jerked over to find a somewhat surprised but highly amused Blaise approaching them.


	8. Chapter 8

Harry sat on the hillside looking down at Hagrid's hut, the night breeze ruffling his hair and cold ground going unnoticed as he watched a candle flicker in the groundskeeper's window.

What had he been thinking? He had kissed Malfoy not once, but twice now. And his friend, Zabini, had seen them. He groaned and dropped back into the grass, rubbing his face with his hands as he tried to make sense. There had to be an explanation other than the most obvious, because he did _not_ like Draco Malfoy. He was arrogant, mean - and admittedly he _was_ attractive, and his smile when it wasn't curled in a mean smirk was...

Harry let out an exasperated laugh. "What is _wrong_ with me?"

"Harry, there you are! I've been looking for you."

The wizard sat up and looked over his shoulder to see a clearly unhappy Hermione traipsing towards him. "Oh, sorry Hermione." He grimaced. He had been supposed to meet the witch at the bookstore before he left, but he had forgotten after—well, he didn't want to think about that.

He dropped back into the grass, covering his face again. Had Draco kissed him back? Well, obviously he had. But why-

"Something wrong?" the witch asked in a quiet voice, interrupting the wizard's thoughts as she sat down beside him.

Harry sighed. "No, just tired."

"Are you sure?"

The wizard stilled. He looked over at the witch with a careful expression. "Yeah, I'm sure. Why do you keep asking?"

Hermione shifted uncomfortably beside him. "Well, I don't know. It's just, well, I saw Draco and Blaise Zabini when I walked out of the bookstore, and they were talking..."

Harry didn't respond. He didn't know if he actually wanted to know what they had been saying or what Hermione now knew for that matter. Ignorance might be preferable. He thought back to the feeling when he had touched the blond. "What do you know about life magic leeching in vampires?"

Hermione's eyebrows shot up at the abrupt question. "Magic leeching?" she asked sharply.

He shrugged his shoulders and ran a hand through his hair roughly. "Yeah, I found it mentioned in a book when I was working on the spell project for Defense class," he hedged.

She shot her friend a hesitant look before saying in a slow voice, "It's not common amongst vampires, it's actually quite rare, but there are still a few thought to have the trait. It's considered very dangerous. Why do you want to know? Is this about Draco?"

" _No_ ," he said quickly. The wizard chewed on the inside of his lip as he thought about the question, trying to decide how much he should admit. "Let's say hypothetically Draco _did_ have this power-"

" _Harry_! Why haven't you-"

" _Hypothetically_ ," he reiterated sharply, quieting the witch and then shooting a quick look around before continuing, "How does it work exactly? I mean, can a vampire just go around taking everyone's?"

Hermione shook her head firmly. "No, it has to be given, either by the use of their charms or by the wizard's own volition, which doesn't happen very often because it usually _kills_ them. It's something the Ministry takes very seriously. If a vampire is found out to have the power, they are put on a list and kept special track of."

He ran a hand back and forth over his dark locks. A list? That didn't sound good. And it wasn't like Draco had been using his charms to steal it from him. He said he wasn't at least, and the wizard was apt to believe him considering how it had felt when he did. Although that left the question - why would he want to give it to him? It had almost felt like a relief to him. He _was_ immortal, so maybe he was-

"Harry, did something happen?"

The wizard shook his head firmly. "No. No, nothing happened," he lied. He pushed himself up. Nothing had happened that would happen again at least.

* * *

"I don't like Potter." Draco stood Monday morning, glaring at the disbelieving eyes trained on him. " _I don't_ ," he said the words more forcefully, then scowled before turning on the tap to his sink and looking away from the infuriating mirror. He had a book set on his bed. One that he had ignored since he threw it there upon entering the dorm an hour ago. _Mate_. He clenched his jaw, holding back a desperate laugh. He had scoured the library through the night for another explanation - but had found nothing.

It fit, but it didn't mean it was the only explanation for his sudden _feelings_ towards the wizard. No not feelings, his inclinations. So he was _inclined_ to be concerned after the wizard's well-being. It wasn't really a new development with his vampirism. They had gone to school together for six years and had saved each other's lives during the war. He had gotten bitten by a vampire trying to save the ridiculous wizard.

It was just stronger since his change.

And the jealousy, it was admittedly harder to explain, but maybe he just didn't like the idea of Harry taking one of his friends away from him. He really only had Pansy and Blaise, if one of them were to abandon him for Potter he would be that more alone. Though that didn't explain Krum—He growled in frustration as his reasonings grew weaker the longer they sat.

No, there was no way Harry was his intended mate. First of all, he didn't even like the wizard. Second, and possibly more important, he didn't _want_ a mate. Wizards didn't have mates; werewolves, centaurs and vampires did. Creatures had mates.

He stared down at the running water, watching it hit the porcelain bowl with a defiant splash only to inevitably slide down the sides it clung to desperately and into the drain. His gaze narrowed. He wouldn't let it happen. He might be a vampire, but he was still a wizard too, he could fight it. His mind flitted back unbidden to the memory of the wizard's touch and his taste. He held back a groan as he leaned down and splashed water in his face, trying to wash away the vivid memories. He would feel better after his visit to the hospital wing.

* * *

" _Potter_ \- don't do that."

Harry slowly lowered the blade that held three thinly sliced sections of dragon's tongue on its side back down to the potion's table. "But I thought-"

"No," Draco said brusquely, picking up his own knife and slicing off three identical pieces before cutting them into long strands and then turning and sectioning them into small squares. "You know, its okay to tweak the instructions slightly," he said in a less sharp tone. "Didn't you notice in sixth year that the sliced pieces made the potion coagulate too much?"

Harry considered telling the wizard that he had been quite preoccupied that year, but he had just used that excuse five minutes prior. "I guess I missed it," he mumbled, looking down at his book and frowning at it.

It was the first potions class since the Hogsmeade trip, and Harry had fumbled through the assignment the entire class while the Slytherin beside him was acting infuriatingly the same. It was as if they hadn't snogged each other up against Honeyduke's and Draco's hands hadn't slid under his shirt to run along his skin. He shivered at the thought and found himself looking down at the wizard's hands as one long finger slid smoothly along the text laid out in front of him.

" _What_?"

The sharply spoken word startled the dark-haired wizard. He looked up to find his gaze trapped by stormy grey eyes that were much closer than he had expected. He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry?" he asked in a tight voice.

Draco lifted one blond eyebrow slowly. "You keep scooting closer to me. Why are you doing that?" he asked, trying to keep his voice cool and calm as his insides rebelled, making him want to reach out and touch him. He clenched the knife more tightly in his hand.

"Oh." Harry moved back to his side of the table. "Just watching," he offered quickly.

"Watching me what - _read_?" the blond drawled. He shook his head in an irritated fashion, holding back an amused smirk when the wizard inevitably began to rub at his hair. A nervous habit he seemed to be doing more and more around him. He ignored how nice the wizard's hair looked messed and forced his gaze back to his text. _Stop that_ , he chastised himself. "When do you want to meet up?" he asked casually.

Harry looked over quickly. "Meet up? For _what_?" he asked, his voice fillled with undisguised surprise.

Draco slowly met the wizard's gaze. "To snog of course," he said lightly. He let out a clipped laugh when the wizard's mouth dropped open. "Our project, Potter," he chided the wizard. "Really, I have no clue how you manage such high marks in anything but this class."

Harry's hand found his hair again and he nodded, trying to keep the flush creeping up his neck from making it to his ears. "Oh, right. Yeah." He closed his book and put their extra ingredients back in their dishes to avoid the wizard's sharp gaze. "How's Friday night?" he forced out in an unassuming manner.

Draco dipped his chin slightly as he checked their potion one last time for consistency and color before lifting two vials and spelling a sample into each one. He then cleared the cauldron with the spell his godfather had taught him in third year, one that the Potions professor had used with a sadistic glee on the Gryffindor's cauldron too many times to count. "Very well. Is my common room okay for you?" he asked as he held out the second vial in offering.

Harry reached out and took the potion sample, his fingers brushing the wizard's accidentally and an increasingly familiar jolt shooting out of his hand at the touch, Draco pulling his hand away with a jerk. "Uh, sure, after dinner?" he asked as he put a cork in his vial. He grabbed his bag and shoved in his books, looking up when he received no response and finding himself alone, the back door swinging shut. "Guess so," he muttered as he slung the bag's strap over his head.

* * *

"Hermione," Harry whispered as he sat beside the bushy-haired witch at the Gryffindor table, dinner platters adorning the red and gold tabletop. "Does Draco look off to you today?"

Hermione let out a slow sigh. She made a show of looking over at the Slytherin table, opening her mouth to retort sharply that he didn't—just as she had the past four days—but then stopped. Her eyebrows furrowed, pushing themselves down as she studied the pale blond. "You know, he does actually... He almost looks _ill_ ," she said, her words having an edge of confusion to them.

"Can he get sick?" Harry whispered back. He frowned when the vampire leaned in an uncharacteristic fashion on his hand to hold his head up as he pushed food around on his plate, looking as if he might fall over without the aid of it.

Hermione shook her head and started to respond-

"Hey guys. Miss me?" A familiar voice sounded behind the two wizards.

Harry and Hermione looked up in surprise.

"Ron!" Hermione jumped up and hugged the laughing red-head tightly. "What are you doing here?" she asked excitedly.

"I decided I wanted to keep all my fingers and skin," he said as he hugged the witch back. He looked over the girl's shoulder. "Harry," he said warmly.

Harry stood up, grinning widely at the wizard and gave him a one-handed hug when Hermione pulled back slightly to look him over for possible injuries to heal. "Good to have you back, Mate."

Ron grinned. "Yeah, I figured you'd need someone to keep you company this year..." He paused, a frown forming as he pulled away. "What's up with Malfoy?"

Harry looked over to see the wizard glaring darkly at them. He turned back, pushing away the sudden uneasiness in his chest. "No idea," he said and swung an arm around his best friend's shoulders. "Come on, let's move all of Finnegan's stuff from your bed. That bloke is driving me mad," he said with a laugh as he made his way out of the Great Hall, feeling as if two grey eyes were burning a hole in his back.

* * *

"Looks like you've got a problem."

Draco clenched his jaw and looked back down at his plate, the sound of the door closing and the two Gryffindors laughing together reaching his sensitive ears and ringing in his head. "The Weasel does not like wizards," he said dryly.

Blaise sniggered by his side. "No, but he hates you. He will not like the idea of you and Potter together. In fact, now that I think about it Potter wasn't even civil with you until this year with the bloke not here." He tutted in feigned disapproval. "Tough luck, Mate."

Draco felt a surge of anger flood his chest, making his hand tighten around the fork he was holding. He forced his hold to loosen when the utensil began to bend. He set it down carefully as he glared at the disgusting food on his plate. "That's where you're wrong. I'm thrilled he's back, now maybe Potter will leave me alone," he said through gritted teeth even as his mind began to run over possible ways to rid the world of the thick red-headed wizard.


	9. Chapter 9

"It's great to be back. No more getting up with the sun, no more dragons trying to cook me for lunch," Ron said with a loud sigh as he dropped onto his newly reclaimed bed and loosened his tie, Seamus Finnegan's belongings having been tossed carelessly onto the corner bed. He placed his hands behind his head and smiled up at the ceiling. "My mum was bloody thrilled when I told her I had changed my mind, I don't know what I was thinking. We're going to have so much fun our last year. We should do something to celebrate tonight, you know?"

"Yeah definitely, I just have to work on this project I have first," Harry said in a distracted voice as he pulled his quidditch jumper over his head in a hurry and then tried in vain to smooth down his unruly hair. He had only just remembered he was supposed to meet Draco after having visited with Ron for the past hour. He hoped he wasn't still waiting. That was assuming they were actually supposed to meet after dinner. The blond had never confirmed. But, he probably would have said something at dinner if he had missed their meeting from earlier. He had been glaring at him though-

"Project? You're joking, right?" he asked with a laugh, interrupting the wizard's anxious musings.

"No, I wish I was. _Where_ is that book?" he grumbled as he leaned over his trunk once more, searching for the red leather bound book he had gotten from the library two days before. He couldn't show up late _and_ empty-handed. He was actually better at this subject than the absurdly sharp-witted blond unlike potions. He picked up his invisibility cloak that had made a third of the trunk appear empty and began to search under it.

Ron pushed himself up onto his elbows, shooting his best friend a look of disbelief. "You're going to do _homework_ as soon as I get here? Can't it wait until tomorrow? It's Friday."

The dark haired wizard grabbed hold of the book he had been searching for that was labelled _Magical Creatures that are Best Left Alone_ and stood up. "I would, _really,_ but it's important - and I have a partner, so I can't... Sorry," he said, trying to hide his discomfort at keeping from him who his partner was. There was no need to tell his best mate that he had asked Draco Malfoy to be his partner. They would be finished with the project soon enough and then they wouldn't need to meet up anymore; it would never need to be addressed. Ever.

The red-head dropped back onto his bed with a disgruntled sounding huff. "All right, I'll just go see Hermione for a bit then. I had really wanted to hang out with her second though..."

Harry held back a grin at the insinuation. "Right. Okay, well, uh, I'll see you soon," he said suddenly in a rush as he made his way for the door. "I'll meet you here in a couple hours." He shut the door, running down the winding staircase as quickly as he could, his friend shouting at him from behind the closed door. He needed to get to Draco before Ron went looking for Hermione.

* * *

"Harry, I see you've finally decided to show up," Draco said coolly as the wizard walked through the door he had just thrown open, startling the blond from his seat in the process. He dropped back down onto his sofa, which he had been sitting on for well over an hour. "What took you so long, busy reuniting with your-"

"Come on," Harry said quickly, grabbing the vampire's arm and pulling him off the couch and towards the door he had just come through without further preamble.

"No Ron, _wait_!"

"Hermione, I just want to see your room first-"

Harry stopped at the voices outside the common room door, turned, looked around - not noticing the look of surprise on the blond's face - and then began to pull him towards his only option. "Let's study in here," he said, jerking the door open and darting into the Head Boy's dormitory.

* * *

Draco stood, the door closing slowly behind him as the common room opened with the sound of Granger and Weasley's voices accompanying it. His gaze hardened on the clearly flustered wizard pacing in front of his bed. He watched, his eyebrows raising when the wizard sat down on his bed and then began to mutter under his breath about the blond, not seeming to remember where he was let alone who he was with. He cleared his throat.

Harry looked up with a jerk. "Oh sorry, is it okay if we study in here?" he asked quickly.

Draco walked towards him slowly. "You want to study _here_?" he asked, mentally noting how nice the wizard looked in his fitted Gryffindor jumper before flitting to the bedspread behind him. There _was_ a lot of space. For studying.

Harry nodded jerkily. "Yeah, is that all right? I mean, the common room it sounds a bit busy right now..."

Draco sat down on his bed's edge, leaving a foot between him and the dark-haired wizard. "You want to study in here — on my bed?" he asked the last three words in a softer voice, scooting closer when the wizard hummed in an unsure manner, the space between them shrinking. He couldn't decide if he was more offended or amused that the Gryffindor would go to such lengths to keep his best friend in the dark. And now that he had the wizard on his bed he had to admit it was quite pleasing.

"Well, we could study on the floor," the wizard said, moving to stand up quickly when a hand snapped out and grabbed hold of his arm, stopping him.

"No. No, this.. this is good," Draco drawled quietly, finding his thoughts racing but not making a lot of sense. He knew he had decided to keep his distance from the wizard, but he had struggled to all week - and it had been exhausting honestly - and now he was so close. He breathed in slowly. Was it possible that Harry smelled better on top of his bed? His eyes fell shut and his mind stopped for a second as he leaned in closer to double check.

"Draco?" Harry said in a whisper, not wanting Ron to hear him. Shit. How had he thought this was a good idea?

"Yeah Harry?" the wizard whispered back with a small smirk pulling up one corner of his mouth as he trailed along the wizard's neck, hovering just over. He did smell better.

"You're not going to kiss me again, are you?" he asked the blond who was scooting impossibly closer to him still breathing on his neck, each puff making the Gryffindor's voice sound more unsteady.

"Of course not," Draco said smoothly as his hand slid up Harry's leg, stopping to fiddle with the hem of his sweater. "...Unless you want me to."

Harry cleared his throat as he felt long fingers tuck under his top just barely, skimming sensitive skin beneath. "Ah, well..." He paused, struggling to say that he didn't want him to kiss him when he did in fact very much. Shit. Shit. Shit. "Do you want to?" he asked hesitantly.

Draco let out a whisper of a laugh. "I asked you _first_ ," he said, surprising the wizard with his teasing voice.

"Ah.." Harry licked his lips nervously. "I don't like you."

Draco's hand ran under his shirt fully and rested on his bare side, eliciting a gasp from the wizard that made his own breath hitch in his throat. "Then why are you on my bed?" he asked softly, his mouth moving up and stopping just in front of his.

"I'm not sure," he answered honestly, finding his gaze locked on smoky grey eyes that were partially obscured by a platinum fringe as he ran a hand tentatively up the blond's arm and shoulder, resting it on his neck. He sucked in a sharp breath as he felt the current between them once more spring to life. "Can you feel that?"

Draco gritted his teeth, his body heating up and making him want to kiss the wizard even more. "You shouldn't do that. It's not safe."

Harry pressed his hand more firmly, the feeling increasing. "I'll be fine," he said, the contact making him somehow feel relaxed for the first time since they had touched in Hogsmeade. It was intoxicating.

"Salazar, that feels _so_ good," Draco breathed out when the wizard placed his other hand on his neck, the increased contact between them muddling his thoughts further. He had missed the wizard's touch sorely, and now he was in his room, on his bed, touching him willingly - and he needed more. He began to tug at the bottom of the wizard's sweater. "Can I?"

Harry nodded, grabbing hold of his own sweater and undershirt, pulling them off for him and then looked at him expectantly.

Draco began to unbutton his own shirt quickly, using some of his unnatural speed as his gaze raked over the wizard's tone torso. He pulled his sleeves off and leaned forward again to kiss the wizard, hesitating at the last moment. "I don't want to hurt you, Harry," he said quietly as he struggled to hold himself back.

The wizard swallowed hard at Draco's words. He reached a hand up again, his index finger carefully tracing the two small scars on the vampire's tempting perfect, pale skin above his collarbone. He was unsure about a lot of things when it came to the blond, but he was starting to believe that at least was true.

"You won't. I-I can handle it," he said in a rough voice and then scooted closer, his eyes falling closed as his mouth pressed against soft red lips. He felt hands run up his arms and down onto his chest and then he was being nudged back onto the bed.

Draco guided Harry back onto Slytherin green sheets, his heart racing as he straddled the Gryffindor's hips. His left hand held him up as his right grasped the wizard's neck gently. He felt his pulse pounding madly under the surface as their tongues met, the wizard's tantalizing flavor dancing on his taste buds. He pulled back slightly to catch his breath. "Just so you know, I don't like you either," he whispered huskily.

"Good," Harry breathed out, his hands sliding down lean muscles and settling on the blond's hips as the Slytherin looked down at him with intense grey eyes that were growing darker by the second. He leaned up and met his lips once more, his fingers gripping and trying to pull him closer. He felt a jolt burst from his fingertips, and the vampire groaned into his mouth, the sound making his head swim.

Draco relaxed his limbs, letting the Gryffindor pull him down on top, and then the wizard was rolling him on his side and a set of heaving chests were pressed against each other, their rise and fall in perfect tandem. He felt like he was melting into the wizard's touch. "Harry, I _need_ you."

Two sets of hands stilled.

"Wh-what?"

Draco pulled back as he looked at a surprised but still heavy-lidded Harry, his own expression mirroring his but for the growing realization that had come with the unexpected words he had just blurted. "I. This. This is _bad_ ," he said, his heavy breathing making it hard to speak. He started to move away but then hands once again tightened on his sides as if they had already forgotten what he had said, and a groan escaped his lips as he struggled to keep his train of thought.

He needed to stop before things got too out of control, but he found himself caught in a vivid green gaze, leaning forward again, and then he captured eager lips that parted blissfully at his touch. His mind dulled further as warm hands ran up his back and pulled him closer as his own slid down, making him feel like he could die happy.

Die. Fuck. That's right, he was going to probably _kill_ the wizard if he didn't stop soon. But he didn't think that even remotely possible; Harry would have to do it.

He pulled back ever so slightly and forced out whispered words against parted lips, "Tell me, Harry. Are you that afraid of Ron Weasley?"

* * *

"Hey guys," Harry said somewhat breathlessly a minute later, his hand seemingly locked around the door handle to Draco's bedroom as he stood with a determined look settled on his features; his shirt hanging out messily from under his jumper, his lips extra red and his hair a wild mess even for him. He watched as Ron and Hermione looked over at him from the couch they were sharing, the former's eyes widening in disbelief and the latter cursing under her breath.

"Harry, what are you... _Malfoy_?" the red-head spat, jumping up and Hermione following suit, grabbing his arm as if she could restrain him.

Harry looked over his shoulder to see a bare-chested Draco with bed mussed hair smirking at Ron.

"Hello, _Weasley_ ," he drawled lazily, lifting his chin haughtily, enjoying the feeling of having Harry by his side instead as the red-head glared on in an all too familiar fashion. "Were the dragons too scary for you?"

Ron's face began to turn red, looking as if it were trying to match his hair color as his expression darkened. "What the _hell_ is going on here?"

Harry opened his mouth to respond when he was cut off.

"Didn't Potter tell you - he and I are friends now. He asked me a couple weeks ago, and I took him up on his offer." Draco sniffed nonchalantly, enjoying the furious look on the red-faced Gryffindor as he wrapped an arm casually around his best friend's shoulders before adding with a sadistic glee, "Isn't that right, _Harry_?"

Harry's gaze shifted from a flustered-looking Hermione to a shocked Ron and then landed on a too-pleased and partially undressed Draco, who oddly enough still had his arm slung around him. He resisted looking at the wizard's lips as his mind ran over the last few minutes in his dorm. They definitely weren't casual acquaintances anymore. He nodded as he answered with no small amount of regret, "Yeah, I suppose it is."

It could be worse.


	10. Chapter 10

"You said you had homework! A _project_ , you said!" Ron shouted from inside Hermione's dorm as Harry stood by the door looking as if he had accepted his friend's outburst as inevitable and was dutifully bearing it despite wanting to leave. "I mean! _Bloody hell_ , Harry!"

Harry ran a hand roughly through his shaggy black locks. He understood why the wizard was upset, he did, but he had still hoped for a better response. He looked over at the red-head who was shooting him an expectant look. He spoke up quickly, his tone defensive, "I did! Malfoy and I - we're partners!"

Ron let out an incredulous laugh. "Are you now?" he asked, his words of obvious displeasure dripping with insinuation.

Harry's gaze narrowed, his hands balling into fists by his side. "Don't be such a _git_ , Ron."

The red-head picked up a stuffed bear from Hermione's bed and threw it, the stuffed animal hitting the door with a muted thud before falling to the floor by Harry's feet. " _Me_? I'm a git?!" he shouted, his pitch raising an octave, "What about _Malfoy_? He's the hugest git I've ever met, and you were _snogging_ him!"

Harry leaned over and picked up his friend's bear from off the floor, brushing off imagined dust as he avoided his friend's judgmental gaze. "Yeah - well he saved me at the beginning of the year — and I never said I was snogging him."

"Weren't you though? Because you two _definitely_ didn't look like you had just been studying! The bastard wasn't even wearing a shirt!" The wizard began to mutter under his breath, the blond's name alternating with expletives.

Harry pressed his lips together tightly between his teeth as he considered if he should just be honest. He spoke up in a hesitant voice, "We might have gotten a little sidetracked..."

" _Sidetracked_?" The wizard made a choking noise, his face growing noticeably pale. "You have _got_ to be kidding me! This can't be happening!"

The dark-haired wizard looked up at him, his expression having grown surprisingly cold. "I'm sorry. Does that disgust you?"

Ron's eyes widened and his anger appeared to ebb slightly. "No! No, that is _not_ what I meant and you know that. I was happy for you for Krum - and not only because I thought it would keep him away from Hermione," he added the last part quickly, when the dark-haired wizard shot him an unimpressed look.

He shifted in place, his expression growing more hesitant as he continued, "I want you to be happy. You never were before, I could tell, not with Chang or even Ginny really, and I was glad for you... You know, when you worked things out this summer, I _was_. But - but _Malfoy_? Come on Harry, you can't be serious. You've always hated him!"

Harry sighed. "Yeah, well he's changed... some," he hedged, not adding that he had changed some too. "And, we're not together or anything. We're just friends. Casual friends," he said for his own benefit as much as Ron's. Not that he made it a habit to make out with his friends, but it sounded much better than any other label he could come up with at that moment other than two blokes who wanted to snog each other senseless, and he didn't think Ron would like that any better.

Ron grimaced, Harry shooting him a warning look in response. The red-head held up his hands in silent acquiescence. "Fine. I'll leave it alone. But, I can't say that I think you're making a good decision here."

Harry walked over and placed the bear back on the witch's bed. "Yeah, well neither can I. I mean, it's nothing serious, I just can't seem to stay away from him at the moment for some reason," he said, feeling torn by his emotions as part of him agreed with his words but another part disagreed adamantly.

He remembered the three words the blond had blurted when they had been kissing. He had felt an answering sentiment to his surprise. He sat down on the edge of Hermione's bed and looked down at his hands. The hands that had been running over Draco's body just minutes ago. Why would he need him? He swallowed hard. "It's confusing, I don't know what I'm doing."

Ron let out an unamused laugh. "You're telling me." He grimaced when the wizard shot him another dark look. "Sorry." He sat down beside him. "Listen Harry, I don't know what to tell you. But if you're really confused, maybe you should take some time to think it over before you do something you regret."

Harry nodded slowly. "Yeah, maybe you're right."

* * *

 _I need you,_ the words ran through Draco's mind on loop, keeping him awake as he lay in the bed he had shared with Harry only a few hours before, the wizard's smell still clinging stubbornly to the green sheets.

Why hadn't it scared the Gryffindor right away? More importantly, why had he said that? It was obviously a side effect of the vampirism, because he didn't need him. He didn't need anyone other than his mother and Blaise and Pansy. He was happy with the way things were. He knew them, and they knew him. It was comfortable.

Potter wasn't comfortable. He was very uncomfortable and unpredictable, and the easy-going Gryffindor had a very short temper at the oddest times. He smirked to himself as he thought of how the powerful wizard got flustered so easily by the smallest touch. It was an attractive trait if he was being honest, and it felt undeniably good to have such an effect on the Chosen One. He let out a slow breath, a frown pushing the corners of his mouth down and his eyebrows pinching together.

He was terribly resilient for a wizard. He didn't seem to be affected in the slightest no matter how much life magic Draco leeched from him. He had a feeling the Gryffindor was keeping something from him - something important - but he couldn't figure out what it was. He had definitely been acting different since the war had ended, but not in the way he would have assumed. The wizard seemed almost more downcast and stressed than when Voldemort had been alive and trying to kill him.

Draco held back a shiver as the memories of the war crept to the forefront of his mind unbidden. He sat up, suddenly feeling as if he couldn't breathe. He needed some fresh air. He walked over to his dresser and pulled on a shirt and a pair of slacks before making his way to his trunk, his hand wrapping around his broom.

* * *

Draco sat between Blaise and Pansy at breakfast two weeks later. He sighed and took a bite of carpaccio. He found it the most tolerable of any food but couldn't eat it at every meal without arising suspicion at the Slytherin table.

 _Only eight more months_ , he reminded himself. And then he could stop pretending to be normal completely. He took another bite and forced himself to chew, the thought more depressing than anything. He really needed some sleep, if only he wasn't suffering from a terrible case of insomnia. He shook his head. Why did he even need sleep? He was a blasted vampire for Salazar's sake. A monster. He didn't need food, so what purpose did sleep serve him really?

"He's doing it again."

"I know, do you want to handle it this time or should I do it?"

Blaise sighed. "I've got it, Pans."

Draco didn't acknowledge when the raven-haired witch placed a kiss on his cheek before standing up to make her way out of the Great Hall.

"Is your food good?"

Draco responded despite himself. "It's delicious," he said dryly before adding in a more genuine tone, "It's not that bad."

"That's the spirit. Just wait until the party tonight, you'll feel much better then."

Draco's expression darkened. "I'm not going, I've told you this already."

"Sure you are."

"I'm not."

"Potter will be there..."

Draco paused and then looked over at the wizard, careful to keep his expression neutral. "How do you know?"

Blaise shot him a sly grin and said in a quiet voice, "I've got my sources."

"Did Pansy tell you?" Draco asked in an unimpressed manner.

"Maybe. Maybe not." The Slytherin looked around at the suspiciously quiet wizards around them before scooting closer and saying in a hushed tone, "You need to try a little harder, Mate, people are starting to notice that you're acting off. There's been talk. Come to the party, it'll help."

Draco nodded curtly. "I'll think about it." He took the napkin off his lap and set it over his barely touched plate, sending a harsh look a few seats down at a staring Astoria Greengrass, who shifted her gaze away quickly. Maybe Blaise was right. He had been a bit down for the past couple weeks for some reason.

He resisted looking over at the Gryffindor table. He knew what he would see. He scowled. Harry laughing over something ridiculously inane with the Weasel. He pushed himself up. Maybe the red-head did have a thing for wizards, he definitely had been stuck up Potter's arse ever since he had arrived. Too bad the dragons hadn't offed him.

"Where are you going?" Blaise asked nonchalantly, his eyebrows barely furrowed as he tried to hide his concern.

Draco adjusted his tie, his gaze drifting over to the red and gold table unintentionally as he thought.

* * *

"Malfoy's staring at you," Ginny said from beside Harry, Hermione and Ron not having made their way down yet.

"What?" Harry looked up, surprised green eyes meeting cool grey ones. He swallowed hard as the blond unexpectantly held his gaze for the first time in over a week. He lifted a hand hesitantly in greeting, the Sytherin's eyes widening slightly before he tipped his chin up sharply and then turned away.

"Did Malfoy just nod at you?"

Harry wiped his mouth, throwing his napkin onto his plate and standing up quickly. "Yeah… Listen Ginny, tell Ron I'll meet him in the dorm later when he shows up, I'm going to go."

The red-headed witch looked at him as if he had grown a second head, her gaze then shifting to watch Draco walk by their table with a renewed interest as he made his way towards the doors of the Great Hall. "All right... But-"

"Thanks," Harry said quickly and turned away, walking as quickly as he could without drawing attention, his gaze trained on the blond as he pushed open the door and made his way into the hall. He picked up his pace, his hand catching the heavy door before it could close all the way.

"Draco!" he shouted when the door had shut behind him, picking up a jog to catch the ridiculously fast blond, who was already halfway down the long corridor. "Draco, wait up!"

Draco let out a slow breath, turning to see Harry jogging towards him. He lifted his eyebrows in an expectant manner, hiding his surprise at the Gryffindor pursuing him. "Do you need something, Potter?" he asked in an offhanded manner.

The Gryffindor slowed at the use of his surname, glancing around to see if there was someone else around but finding the hallway empty excepting them. "No, I just..." he trailed off. He hadn't really had a specific reason for following the blond. He had just wanted to talk to him. "Is something wrong?" he asked hesitantly, stopping in front of the vampire and running a hand up into his hair.

Draco watched the wizard mess his black locks, clenching his hands when his own fingers wanted to do the same. "No, I'm fine," he said slowly.

Harry looked around again and then took a step closer. "Are you sure? I mean, you've seemed a bit..." He struggled for a way to say distant without sounding pathetic. It wasn't like the Slytherin had claimed to be anything but friends with him, despite their snogging. And the friendship claim could have been just to rile up Ron, because it definitely had. "Distracted," he finally settled on as he shoved his anxious hands into his slacks pockets.

The vampire scoffed, "You're one to talk. Ever since Weasley came back, you've been with him every waking moment. Granger will be disappointed when you two decide to go public."

Harry blinked. "What?"

Draco sneered at the clearly bemused wizard. "I haven't got time to dumb it down for you, _Potter_ ," he said coldly and then spun around to leave.

" _Wait_ ," Harry said, grabbing the blond's arm, a sudden panic rising in his chest. Something felt wrong. He turned the vampire back around to meet black eyes. "What's _wrong_ with you?" He took a step closer, his gaze scrutinizing as he looked upon dark purple circles under tired black eyes. He lifted a hand, the blond catching his wrist before he could make contact with his neck.

" _Don't_."

Harry shook his head. "It's fine. It doesn't bother me," he insisted, the vampire's hold loosening and his hand sliding down Harry's arm as he lifted his hand the rest of the way and made contact with his neck.

Draco let out a soft sigh, his eyes falling shut, and he took an unconscious step forward as his body heated up, exhaustion hitting him hard. "I haven't been sleeping," he murmured unthinkingly. He leaned his head on the Gryffindor's shoulder as his mind slowed down too much. Harry's hands wrapped around his waist, his mind continuing to shut down.


	11. Chapter 11

Grey eyes opened slowly. Draco looked around to find himself on an unfamiliar bed with brash red curtains drawn. He breathed in deeply, despite knowing the answer already. He held back a groan when his eager teeth were coated with venom; he was in Harry's bed.

"Well, then you can just bloody leave if it bothers you. It's _my_ bed." The words were growled suddenly from outside the curtains.

Draco pushed himself up into a sitting position quietly.

"I'm not going to have someone like _him_ in here. This is my dorm too y'know," an Irish lilt retorted but not as confidently.

"Not if you're too injured to attend school." The words were met with silence.

Draco pushed crimson curtains back to see a furious Harry, his hands balled into fists by his sides as he glared at an unsure-looking Seamus Finnegan, the two Gryffindors in the middle of the tower.

"Draco, you're awake," Harry said quickly, shooting one last warning look at his dormmate before making his way over to the bedside.

"How long have I been out?" Draco asked, the door closing with a slam as they were left alone.

Harry sat down hesitantly on the bed's edge beside him. "A few hours."

Draco lifted his chin in a slight nod, trying to appear indifferent to the fact he had obviously collapsed on top of the Gryffindor from a simple touch. He moved to push himself up. "I should go, Blaise will wonder where I've been."

Harry nodded, watching the blond stand up and fix his shirt. "Oh, I told him for you," he said quickly.

Draco adjusted his tie. "Ah." He eyed the wizard, who was shooting him a worried look that made him want to climb back on the bed with him and pull the curtains. He cleared his throat along with his rogue thoughts and then added, "Listen Potter, I think it would be best if we just continue to keep our distance."

Harry's eyebrows shot up. He stood up slowly. "I'm sorry?"

The blond shrugged one shoulder as he shot the messy dorm a look of disdain. Gryffindors. "Yeah, I don't want people to get the wrong idea about us."

The dark-haired wizard frowned. "The wrong idea?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Yes, if we keep snogging and spending time in each other's beds people will start to think we are... together to some degree."

Dark eyebrows raised again but in what looked to be amusement. "Together to some degree?"

Draco scowled and then said sharply, "Stop just repeating everything I'm saying, Harry." He looked down, realizing he was in his socks and began to search the floor for his shoes, spotting them under the wizard's bed beside his own pair. He strode over to grab them.

"Draco, listen," Harry said as the blond sat back on the Gryffindor's bed to put on his shoes, "I'm sorry. What you said earlier about Ron and I, I have been avoiding you lately, you were right."

Draco tied his right shoe tightly and then picked up his left. "I don't have the slightest what you're talking about."

Harry let out a deep breath and ran a hand into his hair. "I was just confused. Things were moving a little fast, and I didn't know what to think." He pulled out at his locks and muttered under his breath, "Not that I've figured it out really."

Draco stood up slowly, smoothing out his shirt once more and then grabbing his wand from the bedside table that was resting against Harry's for some reason. He put it in his inside pocket before shooting the wizard an even look. "I can explain it for you."

The Gryffindor's eyes widened and he took a step closer. "Yeah?" he asked eagerly.

The blond matched the movement bringing them chest to chest. "Yes, it's very simple."

The wizard shot him an expectant look.

Draco eyed him coolly. "Yes, due to my vampirism I am attracted to you, because you are my intended mate."

Harry's eyebrows shot up and he took a step back and then another.

Draco sneered at the wizard, "Now, stay far away from me unless you want me to slip up and make it so that we're stuck with each other forever."

* * *

Draco stood up from his trunk, broom in hand for the third night in a row since he had scared Harry away. His fingers tightened around the hilt. He let out a measured breath, forcing his angry fingers to relax in their grip as he chastised himself. It was what he had wanted, there was no reason to regret it now.

His mind flitted back to earlier that day when he and the Gryffindor had been working together in Potions. Harry had done his best to avoid any type of contact the entire time, even having appeared to have gone as far as studying beforehand so Draco wouldn't be able to make any snide remarks. Red lips tightened into a straight line. It was for the best. He strode to his door, pushing it open with force and then froze as he took in the sight before him.

Harry was lying in a pair of red flannel pajama pants and a white t-shirt, the wizard fast asleep on the sofa directly in front of him. He shook his head and then forced himself forward, his steps nearly silent as he approached the sleeping Gryffindor wizard. He found himself sitting on the opposite sofa instead of leaving. What was he doing here? Sleeping in his common room was definitely not keeping his distance. "Potter."

The dark-haired wizard rolled over onto his side to face Draco, to reveal eyes that were still closed and a teddy bear wrapped snugly in his arms.

A small smile tugged at the corners of the Slytherin's mouth. He let out a breath of a laugh. "Harry," he said more loudly.

The wizard frowned in his sleep and then heavy eyelids opened slowly, confused green eyes landing on a smiling Draco Malfoy. "Draco?" he asked, his voice rough from sleep.

The blond lifted his chin as his smile remained firmly in place. "Tell me... Do you always sleep with a teddy, Potter?"

"Huh?" Harry's eyes widened suddenly and he sat up, placing the stuffed animal on the cushion beside him. He broke out into a sheepish grin. "No, that's Hermione's. She left it out here."

Draco nodded, pulling in his smile and studying the wizard with a contemplative eye. The Gryffindor was sitting in the same clothes he had been wearing earlier. "Trouble in paradise?"

Harry blinked. "Wha-No! No, Ron and I are not fighting," he said in a rushed voice, running a hand up into his hair. "Things are just a bit tense, and I was talking to Hermione..."

Draco shifted back on the couch. "Go on."

"I'm sorry?"

Draco stared at him for a moment. "What don't you understand about that?"

Harry frowned. "I. Nothing, I just mean, why do you want to know?" he asked, his gaze narrowing suspiciously.

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "Mostly I'm just curious. I didn't think you and... _Weasley_ still got into it. What was it over?" he asked, keeping the smirk out of his voice.

Harry let out a slow breath and shook his head. "I don't really feel like talking about it." He rolled his shoulder and grimaced when the muscle pulled funny. "This sofa really isn't the best for sleeping on," he muttered under his breath.

"You can sleep in my bed if you'd like," Draco said, the words falling from his mouth before his usually quick mind could catch them. He sniffed nonchalantly as he resisted showing his surprise at his own offer.

Harry blinked. " _Your_ bed?"

Draco nodded. "Yeah, remember, the one you were on a few weeks back when we were snogging."

Harry looked down and let out a rueful laugh. "Right. No, I remember that."

Draco's gaze followed Harry's hand as it began to rub at his flushing neck, the thought of the extra blood flow making his mouth feel suddenly dry. "I'd hope so," he said in a suddenly quiet voice. He cleared his throat and stood up, needing to leave the common room before he did something stupid. "Well, what do you say? I'm off to go flying so you're more than welcome to it."

"Flying?" Harry asked, his gaze having jerked back up to meet grey eyes.

Draco nodded, the movement slight. He lifted the broom in his hand out in display. "Yes, unless you'd like me to stay." He quirked a mischievous grin when the Gryffindor sputtered at his offer. "I'm just teasing, Harry. Are all Gryffindors so skittish?"

Harry shook his head and stood up defiantly. "I'm not skittish. I just. I don't usually joke about that type of thing is all."

Draco took a step forward, leaving little space between them. He kept his breaths shallow as he looked down into green eyes that pulled him even closer, a knowing smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "What? What type of thing?"

Harry steeled himself. The Slytherin was toying with him. "Sex," he said matter-of-factly and then watched as the blond's grey irises began to shrink, a black excitement slowly taking them over.

Draco breathed in slowly as his mind began to run on auto-pilot. He licked his lips and nodded. "Well, maybe you should get used to it. We are friends now."

"Friends?" Harry asked, hesitantly, his fingers tingling as he fought to keep them by his sides and off of the blond standing too close to him, "Is that what we are?"

"Yes," Draco said, his voice softer, and he leaned in closer, "unless you're taking the offer back that is." Red lips parted ever so slightly to reveal just a glimpse of sharp canines when the Gryffindor's pulse audibly jolted to a maddening pace, tempting him.

Harry shook his head curtly. "No, I'm not. I just thought you were saying that to make Ron angry. You didn't seem too interested afterward."

Draco tilted his chin down and then drew in a slow breath, hovering just above the wizard's collar and then let out a sigh. He smelled so good. "I've changed my mind," he murmured and then placed a gentle kiss on Harry's neck, the wizard's pulse coming up to meet his lips in greeting.

" _Shit,_ " Harry gasped, and his hands were suddenly gripping the blond's shirt and pulling his lean body closer for some reason. "Is this what you think friends do?"

"Good friends maybe," Draco countered, and then a thought began to form in his mind, the idea from a newly published book he had read the day before about vampires. And who better to test the information out on than the incredibly resilient and tempting wizard in front of him? "Harry, would you mind if I bit you?"

Harry blinked rapidly at the wholly unexpected request. " _What_?"

Draco placed another kiss on the suddenly tense wizard's neck, his hand releasing his broom to fall against the nearby sofa, his lips slightly parting as the bad idea started to sound better and better. "Can I bite you? I'll be careful."

Harry began to breathe more heavily. He should just say no. Why would he let Draco bite him? It was an awful idea. He didn't want to be a vampire or his mate. "Why?" he asked in a rough voice.

Draco breathed in more deeply, holding back a groan at the heady scent that greeted him. "Why not?" he countered, and then his hands slid up and grasped the wizard's sides under his shirt. "It's supposed to feel good," he said in barely above a whisper, "for both of us."

Harry's eyes fell shut as cool hands began to slide down, and then thumbs curled under the line of his pants and tugged him flush against the blond's front. He bit back a groan as they made contact, his body decidedly switching loyalties at the touch, deciding the blond was completely trustworthy. "I don't think that's - a good idea," he forced out.

Draco trailed his tongue along his bottom lip. "I'll be careful, I won't take enough to change you or anything _like that_ ," he said, careful not to bring up the mating subject.

Harry swallowed hard, noting the meaning behind the emphasized words. The reason he had visited Hermione to begin with, but he hadn't been able to figure out a way to broach the subject without raising suspicion. He didn't want to think about that though. "Have you - have you bitten anyone before?"

"No," Draco said, and then he ran his tongue languidly over the area he wanted to bite, the wizard's breath hitching in his ear, before adding, "You'd be the _first_."

Harry found himself nodding jerkily. "Yeah, yeah okay."

Draco smiled slowly, his lips pulling back to reveal a full set of gleaming white teeth. He grasped the back of Harry's head and met his lips in a heated kiss, the Gryffindor responding. He pulled back after a short moment and studied the green-eyed wizard. "Are you sure?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, just be careful."

Draco felt his mouth pool with venom. "I will," he said in a whisper, and then he laced his fingers in messy black locks, and he gently tilted the wizard's head back and to the side some to display his neck more fully.

"So nice," he murmured in approval as he studied the wizard's muscular neck. And then he leaned forward and opened his mouth, his lips gently making contact with heated skin before he pushed down harder -- and then his teeth pierced through the Gryffindor's skin, like a knife through silk -- the feeling trumping anything he had experienced before.

The vampire registered a throaty gasp, and then suddenly a hot savory liquid began to pour into his mouth, and he groaned low and deep as the flavor ran over his tongue, making his taste buds sing. Strong hands grabbed hold of his sides, another gasp filling his ears, and then he began to slowly suck on the area, pulling more of the delicious liquid from the wizard's neck.

" _Fuck_ ," Harry groaned as intense pleasure mixed with pain, and he pressed his lower body up against the blond's, his head spinning and body responding to the sharp teeth by speeding up its blood flow as if to please them. "Draco," he groaned, and then the feeling was suddenly gone.

He opened his eyes to find the tall blond standing just inches from him, his eyes wide and his chest rising and falling rapidly, and his red lips looking even darker after being painted with his blood. He waited for the blond to say something. Anything.

"Shit Harry," was said, and then Draco pulled him forward in a rough kiss.

Harry's hands ran up into platinum blond locks, and then he was pushing him backwards as he held their mouths together, the blond letting out a grunt when he was ran into the door to his dorm.

Draco's left hand reached back, and he felt for the door handle, his fingers tightening instantly on contact and turning the handle to fall backwards slightly before Harry caught him and then he began his backwards travel again.

Green eyes shot open when Harry found himself falling forward and onto Draco's bed once more - on top of him. He gasped for breath, one hand pushing him up some, his other reaching up to feel his neck. He grimaced at the sore spot and lowered his hand to find blood on his fingertips. "I'm still bleeding."

"Here, let me get that for you." And then a tongue was running up the wizard's fingers and a mouth was closing around the tips.

Harry groaned when the vampire's tongue began to trail along his fingers more, not stopping until they were clean. 

"You taste so good," Draco whispered, and then he leaned up, sliding his tongue over the wizard's neck, the bleeding spots slowing and then stopping as he worked over the area greedily. "So good, _so good_ , Harry," he groaned.

"Y-yeah?" Harry asked, his voice husky, and then he rolled his hips forward, and pressed his excited body part against the blond's, eliciting a low noise from parted red lips - and fingers dug into his sides, encouraging him to move again.

Draco nodded. "Too good," he gasped out and rolled his hips up to meet Harry's, the contact with the wizard making a groan rumble in his chest. "This is good too though."

Harry nodded, wholeheartedly agreeing as he pushed down against him again, more firmly. "Yeah."

Draco began to guide the wizard's thrusts to move with his own, and then he was gasping, and Harry was groaning, and his eyes were falling shut, and they were moving faster, his heart racing as it tried to keep up with the maddening pace.

A warm mouth pressed against his, moulding perfectly - and then he felt a telling tightening down low, and suddenly he was toppling over the edge; the wizard's name danced across his lips as he pushed up hard against him, Harry matching the movement almost immediately.

The Gryffindor dropped down on top of him, the two wizards lying in silence but for their jagged breaths as their chests rose and fell against the other's, and then Harry rolled off of him and onto his back. Slowing heavy breaths filled the Head Boy's dorm.

"That was..."

"Yeah," Draco agreed and then smiled. He let out a whisper of a laugh. "Yeah, it really was."

Harry let out a small laugh. He scrubbed at his hair, and then spoke up more hesitantly, "I should go, I guess."

Draco looked over to him, platinum eyebrows raising. "Where? Back to the sofa?" He let out a clipped laugh and shook his head. "Just stay, Harry."

Harry remained silent for a moment as he looked into surprisingly warm grey eyes and then said quietly, "Yeah, okay. I'll stay."

"Good." Draco pulled out his wand, using a quick vanishing charm on both of them before setting it on the bedside table. He settled back down, shifting closer until their sides were touching unthinkingly, and then his eyes slowly fell shut as a deep breath escaped his lips. "Night Harry." 

* * *

Harry woke up slowly to find himself alone in Draco's room, the morning sunlight shining in the windows, and a soft breeze lazily pushing around long green drapes as they brushed grey stones. He groaned and sat up slowly, a hand lifting to cup his sore neck as his memories from the night before slowly made themselves known again to his sluggish brain.

He groaned again, the sound more pathetic as he dropped his face into his hands. What had he been _thinking_? He had let Draco bite him and then - _then_ they had gotten off together. He shook his head.


	12. Chapter 12

Draco sat at the most solitary table in the library, the one closest to the restricted section. The newly published book he had read the other day was in front of him open, intense grey eyes poured over the material neurotically.

What had he been thinking? He had _bitten_ Harry. He had bitten him and drank his blood. And it had been wonderful. His mouth responded, and he groaned, dropping his forehead in an uncharacteristic fashion on top the book, ignoring the grumbling picture beneath him. He should have never read it, then he wouldn't have slipped. _No_ , he should have never trusted himself to be alone with the Gryffindor wizard.

Potter. He laughed, the wizard had to be regretting his decision now. _Harry_ , his mind corrected for him, stubbornly. He grimaced. He was already thinking of him as Harry. He needed to fix this, but how.

He straightened himself and leaned back against the wooden chair, crossing his arms. He could figure out a solution. He was a Malfoy. Malfoys were intelligent, cunning and if nothing else - survivors. His family had survived Voldemort living in their house during the war, Draco had survived being a Death Eater and being ordered to kill Dumbledore. And he would survive this, it was nothing in comparison.

A few months after school was out - and he was no longer running into the wizard or being pushed to interact with him on a daily basis - he would be fine. He sniffed, lifting a hand to smooth his hair down. Yes, he would be fine—

"I'm sure you will."

Draco's grey eyes shot up to focus on a grinning Blaise.

"You're mumbling, I thought you broke that habit in sixth year," the fellow Slytherin commented casually as he slid into the seat across from the platinum blond. "Is it Harry?"

Draco scowled. "I didn't ask you to join me."

Blaise let out a laugh. "So it is. Funny, I thought you'd be more relaxed today, considering..." the wizard trailed off, his tone nonchalant as he eyed the book in front of Draco with obvious interest.

Draco shut the book firmly, and then flipped it over. "Considering what?" he asked point blank. He was bluffing.

Blaise made a show of looking around for other wizards before leaning forward and whispering with a salacious grin, "Yours and Potter's rendezvous last night, of course."

Draco didn't blink. "We're partners, we met up for class," he responded, not willing to make himself look more guilty by denying it completely, his friend had clearly found out something.

Blaise shook his head, tutting in a way that made Draco want to hex him. "I'm hurt, Draco, I thought we were best mates."

Draco stared at him.

"Clearly we're not though, or you wouldn't feel the need to lie to me," the wizard sighed, feigned hurt dripping from his words.

Draco growled internally. "What do you know?"

Blaise's smirk returned. "I went to your room this morning to see if you wanted company for your infirmary visit, and I found Harry lying on your bed - his neck exposed. It seems he's as generous as people say."

Draco cursed mentally, he should have warded the door. "I hate you, Zabini."

Blaise shook his head. "No you don't." He scooted his seat forward, the library's sound-dampening charms softening the scraping noise, until his chest was pressing against the table, his chocolate-colored eyes dancing with excitement. "Did you shag him too?"

"No."

The wizard leaned back a little, clearly disappointed. "Well, what'd you do? What happened?"

Draco pressed his lips together firmly and then said, "I lost control is what happened, and Potter is clearly an adrenaline junkie." There was no other explanation, Draco had gone over all possible reasons the wizard would have let him do what he had done, not to mention what had happened afterward...

He cleared his throat, when memories from the night before rushed to the forefront of his mind. Mouths and hands and touches teased his senses. He shifted in his seat. It was good he had left first thing.

When he had woken up an hour early, Harry still fast asleep, he had wanted nothing more than to stay and just lie there with him. That would only make his instinct to mate with the wizard that much harder to resist. He couldn't find proof of it in the books, he had looked for it, but it was happening despite that. The more time he spent with the wizard, each time he made him smile or laugh, or he responded to his kisses or touch, it was drawing Draco in like a moth to flame. He needed to keep his distance, or he would surely crash and burn.

"Draco? Are you listening to me?"

Draco looked up questioningly, Blaise frowning at him, his eyebrows furrowing in a way he did when he was worried but too much to actually say anything.

"What is it?" he asked, sharply, feeling annoyed. He looked away from his friend and over at two Gryffindor witches, who were standing a few yards away and peering over at him shyly over a book they were sharing. He curled his lip.

"I said, what are your plans for Christmas?"

Draco turned his attention back to his friend, his gaze sharp. "Why do you ask?"

Blaise fought a smile. "You really are getting a bit paranoid, I was just wondering if you wanted to spend Christmas at mine is all."

Draco let out a slow breath, leaning back in his chair as he fiddled with the knot of his tie, wanting to loosen it but resisting. He shook his head reluctantly. "I would, but my mother is expecting me, and without my father—" He stopped. He pulled at the knot finally, breathing a little easier despite the sudden lump in his throat. "You and Pansy can come though, she'd like that."

Blaise nodded. "Sure, that'd be nice. I'll talk to my parents."

Draco nodded back and then looked back down at his book and opened it, leafing through the pages to find where he had been.

"Harry, good to see you, mate."

Draco held back a grimace as his chin slowly shifted up, the Gryffindor standing by the table, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets. "Hello, Blaise," the wizard said before shifting unsure green eyes to surprised grey ones. "Draco."

The blond resisted gaping, barely noting when Blaise pushed himself up from the table, offering his seat to the Gryffindor, who nodded hesitantly and sat down when his persistent friend nudged him into the spot across from him.

"You two have fun studying," he said, his tone swimming with insinuation, smirking when Draco shot a barely concealed glare at him. "We'll talk later, Draco." He winked.

"Bye Blaise," he said coolly.

He met Harry's gaze, hiding his feelings of reluctance. "Harry," he said in greeting and then looked back down to his book. _In order for mating to occur_ —He flipped the page. Why had he been reading that?

A throat cleared uncomfortably.

_Vampires though known to mate for life, if a suitable partner is found, it is not necessary. Many vampires have been known to go on for centuries without a mate, and have not displayed any ill effects._

_However, if an intended mate is discovered by the vampire it has been noted that the vampire in question will slowly lose his self-control if the pairing is denied for whatever reason, and it can be detrimental not only to the vampire, but can have harmful effects on those_ —He shut the book, glaring down at the smiling wizard, who was waving up at him. What did Christopher Pandawall know anyway?

The seat shifted across from him, and Draco looked up to see Harry leaning over. The wizard placed his hand atop the book and slid it over to his own side. Draco watched as Harry opened the book to a random page and appeared to begin to read it. "What..." he paused, "are you doing, Potter?"

Harry looked up, his expression innocent. "Reading about vampires."

Draco's eyes widened, and a breath of a laugh fell from his lips.

Harry grinned somewhat apologetically. "I don't really know much but what I learned in DADA and what Hermione's told me, and I tend to block her out at times." He ran a hand up into his hair, messing it. "Do you mind?"

Draco didn't respond at first. His instinct from years of interacting with the Gryffindor was to say yes, he did mind very much in fact and take the book back. But for some reason, he couldn't find the indignation he expected to be at his disposal in buckets. Instead he felt almost... affected? "No, I'm finished with it," he said.

And then Harry smiled, the expression warming something in his own chest, and he felt himself begin to respond despite himself. He shook his head and looked down to hide it, under the guise of pulling another book from his bag set on the floor. "You're an odd wizard, Potter."

Harry laughed, the feeling in Draco's chest growing. "Yeah, maybe so."

Draco set down his potions book, chancing a quick glance at the Gryffindor, Harry was sitting across from him, one hand playing with a lock of his hair, twisting it as he read, his expression one of open curiosity as his green eyes focused on the text. "Harry?"

"Hm?" the wizard hummed as he flipped the page, engrossed in the text.

"About last night—" He stopped, green eyes shifting up. Should he apologize? He had bitten him. He felt guilt weigh down his thoughts when his body responded to a glimpse of the bite marks under the wizard's collar. He wanted to do it again.

"Yeah?" Harry asked when he didn't continue, his tone suddenly tense.

Draco's tongue darted out, wetting his lips, his mind working against itself but finally settling down. "I'm sorry."

Harry's hand began to rub over his head, stopping when he said, "Don't be." And then he looked back down and began to read again, seemingly content to leave it at that.

Draco found himself not quite succeeding in holding back a grin at the wizard's response, and he directed his attention down to the potions book before him. "You always manage to surprise me somehow," he said.

Harry turned the page. "That's just because you don't give me enough credit."

Draco's grin grew. "Maybe not." He felt a foot bump his, but then instead of moving away like he expected, it moved closer, a calf soon pressing comfortably against his. He fought the urge to look up. "Do you have plans for Christmas?"

"I'll probably just stay at Hogwarts."

"Ah."


	13. Chapter 13

Harry groaned and covered his face with his pillow. He was so screwed. Royally screwed.

"Harry..?"

He groaned again, ignoring the voice on the other side of pulled red curtains. The female voice.

"Harry, are you okay? Ron told me—"

"Ron can bloody sod off," Harry said sharply, his pillow pulled away so his words were not mistaken. "Go away Hermione, I don't want to talk right now." The red pillow settled firmly back over his face. It had been a nice week, the Gryffindor spending most of his free time sitting amiably with a certain blond Slytherin in back of the library, and then Ron had decided to be a huge git at dinner and point something _very_ important out to an oblivious Harry, and in front of the entire gobsmacked Gryffindor table no less; Harry liked Draco.

Harry groaned again, the sound admittedly more self-loathing. Because why had he needed the angry red-head, posing to be his best friend, to tell him that in the first place? There was no other explanation for what was happening, how he was feeling whenever he was in Draco's presence. Sweaty palms, racing heart, the goofy grin always pushing at the corners of his mouth, the urge to touch him, the thrill it sent through him when the blond smiled at him instead of smirking, the extra blood flow to certain—

"Harry?" The voice sounded less muffled as it cut through the wizard's musings.

Harry lifted his pillow to see bushy brown hair and a worried expression decidedly inside the curtains he had closed. Green eyes narrowed. "Remember our talk about boundaries, Hermione, and shouldn't you be with your _boyfriend_?"

The witch sighed and climbed onto the bed with him, tugging the curtains shut behind her, clearly having forgotten about their talk in fifth where Harry had explained that sometimes wizards needed their alone time, like witches did, but more often. Not that he had been tossing off, but he still didn't want the company.

"Ron didn't mean what he said, you know that."

Harry pushed himself up into a sitting position. "You mean, he told you that he didn't mean it when he said that I was a fucking idiot if I liked Draco?" he asked dryly.

Hermione pressed her lips together between straightened teeth, and suddenly found the blankets on his bed very interesting as she smoothed her skirt over and over unnecessarily. "Harry..."

Harry ran a hand up into his hair, and pulled at wild black locks. He hated his best friend sometimes. " _What_ ," he said, with no small amount of agitation bleeding into his voice.

The witch sighed. "Ron, he's, he's just trying to adjust to all this, he didn't mean it... even if he thinks he did, he didn't."

Harry let out an incredulous laugh. "Yeah, well, that doesn't make me feel much better, because I'm trying to deal with it _too_ , Hermione, and it doesn't help to have my best mate being so shitty about it."

Hermione nodded but didn't say anything.

Harry's gaze narrowed again as he watched his friend trace the stitching of his Gryffindor red comforter, her lips held tightly together. "Just say it."

"I'm sorry?" Hermione asked in a surprised voice.

"I can tell you want to say something so just do it, so you don't explode," he said curtly. He growled and scrubbed at his hair again, he was far too agitated lately, ever since he and Draco had—No, he wouldn't think of that right at the moment. He rubbed at his right sleeved arm roughly.

Hermione shifted closer, and placed her hand on Harry's agitated one, stilling the anxious motion. "I'm just concerned about you, Harry. You've seemed... upset lately," the witch hedged. "More so than usual. I mean, more than you've been for a long time actually," she said in a tone that was wholly to careful for Harry's comfort.

"Yeah, well I have a shitty best mate so that's not a surprise," he snapped and then felt bad for it when his friend removed her hand and scooted back slightly. "Sorry," he mumbled and then his chin dropped, and he stared at his lap. "I guess I've just been a little confused about - things."

"It's okay, I understand. Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head, and then a laugh escaped his lips. Talk about it? Did he want to talk about how he wanted Draco to touch him and drain some of the overflowing life magic from him that made him feel like he was drowning at times, or that he wanted him to bite him again, so he could feel mortal again even if it was just for a short time, or maybe that he had started having dreams, and they involved far too much skin and heated noises and not enough coherent words, or perhaps, how just being in the wizard's presence and having the smallest physical connection made his muscles relax but his pulse pick up and his mind turn to mush. He laughed again. "No, not really," he said quietly.

"Harry." Hermione shifted closer again. " _Do you_ like Draco? I mean, as more than just an attraction?" Hermione asked softly.

Harry let out a heavy breath. "I don't know. And even if I did, it's not like he'd ever feel that way towards me," he said, surprising himself with the words to a small degree.

Hermione laughed, and green eyes shifted up in surprise. "You can't possibly think that, can you?" She laughed again, covering her mouth with her hand. "I'm sorry, it's not funny, but-" And she laughed again, louder and Harry's expression began to darken. "Harry, I'm so sorry, but that, that is ridiculous."

"Why? Draco Malfoy is a snob," he said, not able to find a better word to describe the very reserved and exceptionally intelligent wizard. "He'd never like me."

Hermione shook her head, doing her best to stifle another round of laughter when Harry scowled at her. "Harry. Draco does not think he's better than you, he has always tried to compete with you or impress you to get your attention, ever since I can remember. If anything, he probably thinks it's the other way around," she said, nodding as she spoke as if she were agreeing with her own words, because they were that true.

Harry frowned. "You're saying, you think that Draco thinks I'm too good for him?" he asked slowly, pitch dark eyebrows raised in disbelief.

The witch nodded. "Yes. For sure. Think about it. You're the Chosen One, you destroyed Voldemort, saved all of us, including him and his family, you're better than him at Quidditch, you—"

Harry stopped listening as his mind tried to grapple with what the Gryffindor witch was saying. "Wait," he said, stopping her rant. "So you think Draco would like me, if I were to..." Harry paused, growling internally at his inability to say what he wanted, feeling anything but a Gryffindor at that moment. "If I say.."

"Yes, I think he'd be your boyfriend," Hermione said helpfully, making Harry let out a huff of a laugh in surprise, and the witch broke into giggles.

"I should know better than to talk about this kind of stuff with you," Harry said with a head shake, but a smile on his lips belied his words. He began to chew on the inside of his lip as he thought about something else that had been bothering him as of late. "Hermione - you know a lot about vampires... right?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, I did an independent study on them in sixth year, why?" she asked, her expression growing slightly wary.

Harry shrugged and tried to say nonchalantly, "Well Draco's one, so I was just wondering if you could tell me a little about mates and whatnot."

Hermione didn't respond. She blinked.

"I mean." Harry's hand found his hair again, he sniffed nonchalantly. "Just so I know in case it were ever to be an issue, if he were to meet—"

"Oh my."

Harry resisted grimacing. "What?"

Hermione's eyes widened. "Harry - are you Draco's _intended mate_?"

Harry licked the corner of his mouth nervously. "No. I'm not saying that, but whoever was," he hedged and then green eyes flicked up. "What would that mean exactly... for them?"

* * *

Draco sat in the highest stands of the Quidditch pitch well after the sun had set, sharp grey eyes following a blur in the star-kissed sky. Harry was an amazing flyer. He had always been jealous of how natural his movement was in the air on a broom. It was like he didn't even have to think, he just reacted. He watched the broom zip by him at a neck-breaking speed before it turned almost on a dime and barreled back towards him, Harry pulling up just a few feet in front of him, breathing heavily and grinning madly, his hair a windswept mess as he wore his practice Quidditch garb.

"Come to get some pointers, Malfoy?" Harry joked, feeling giddy from his flying session, having grabbed his broom after his and Hermione's unsettling talk. He always felt better after being on the pitch for a while, and he had _really_ needed to feel better.

"Yeah, you've caught me, Potter," Draco said, returning his infectious expression with a wry one. He leaned back, resting elbows on the bleachers behind him, watching as the Gryffindor lowered and then hopped off his broom to traipse up the stairs and drop down beside him, leaving a couple feet between them.

"You forgot a piece of parchment."

Draco smirked and tapped the side of his head with his pointer finger. "Excellent memory, it's not necessary," he said more playfully and a lot less dryly than he had meant to.

Harry let out a laugh. He leaned back, mirroring his position, and he let his knees drop wide as he relaxed and breathed heavily. "I see," he said, and the words were husky, because his overactive brain had unhelpfully supplied other things Draco's excellent mind was probably storing. He cleared his throat and looked out on the clear night sky over the pitch. "It's nice out tonight," he offered.

Draco nodded, his gaze trailing over the fit wizard before he fixed his vision on the stars as well. "Yeah, it doesn't feel like winter, does it?" he asked.

And Harry laughed at that.

Draco glanced over. "What's so funny?"

Harry smiled at him, the expression incredibly warm and making Draco want to slide closer, but he resisted. "Nothing, I'm just always surprised when you make small talk I guess."

Draco gave a small shrug. "I can't always be a git."

Harry laughed again and scooted closer as if he had read the wizard's mind, his knee almost touching Draco's. "No, I don't suppose you can." He sniffed as he looked over at the tall blond, who was wearing an obviously tailored black jacket and grey slacks. "Can I ask you a question?"

Draco resisted pointing out that he just had and tilted his head in a nod of sorts.

Harry looked down where their legs were almost touching, and he said, "Would you want to go to Hogsmeade with me on Saturday?"

"I can't."

Harry's gaze turned up, green eyes a little wider than usual. "Oh. Oh okay, that's fine..." He started to stand up when a hand grabbed his arm, gently keeping him in place.

"No Harry, I mean, I really can't. I'm going home on Friday, I won't be here," Draco said, his hand still resting on the wizard's forearm, heat seeping unexpectedly into his body at the touch. He lifted his hand carefully, attempting for nonchalance as he noted not for the first time that the wizard didn't appear affected, at least not for the worse. "Christmas break, you know?" he added, when Harry didn't respond.

"Oh, yeah, of course," Harry said but didn't add anything further.

Draco let out a huff of a laugh and then nudged the wizard's leg with his knee. "Would you like to come?"

" _To yours_?" Harry asked, black eyebrows raising.

Draco's lips pulled in a crooked smirk, giving the wizard a glimpse of his sharp canines. "No." He rolled his eyes, but his smirk softened more into a smile. "Yes Harry. To mine. Blaise and Pansy are coming too, but not until Christmas Day, but I thought if you wanted you could come the whole time since you don't have plans."

Harry didn't respond right away. After what Hermione had told him, it probably wasn't the best idea to stay at the wizard's house for a week, alone... He looked up to meet waiting grey eyes, and he found himself nodding. "Yeah, yeah I'd like that," he heard himself say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for all your wonderful comments, they've really made posting on here so enjoyable. :)


	14. Chapter 14

Draco stepped out of the bathroom and into his private dorm, a white towel slung low around his hips, and was greeted by a wolf whistle. "Blaise," he said, coolly, his grinning best friend sprawled out all-too-comfortably on top his freshly made bed, "I'm going to start locking my door if you can't learn some self control."

The Slytherin let out an unapologetic laugh. "Like I wouldn't figure out the countercharm," he said and rolled onto his back to stare up at the ceiling. "Go on, I won't watch." The wizard rested his hands on his chest and let out a contented sigh.

Draco rolled his eyes as he pulled out the top drawer to his dresser, grabbing a pair of black boxers and stepping into them before tossing his towel in the hamper a few feet away. He walked over to his wardrobe and pulled open the doors, searching for something to wear. Harry would probably—

"So you're all packed I see." The interrupting words said casually enough.

Draco tugged on a pair of black slacks. "Aren't you?" he asked and then grabbed a dark charcoal grey button up, shrugging it on, and began to work on the buttons.

"You sure you want to wear that? You don't want to out dress Harry, it's poor form."

Cool grey eyes slowly raised to meet obviously amused brown ones. "Seeing as how I don't own any hoodies," he said, lips twitching as he paused on the Gryffindor's favorite clothing piece, before continuing, "I doubt I could manage that even if I tried."

Blaise let out a barking laugh. "Why didn't you tell me he's going to be there over the Holiday? I would have made more time to visit."

Fingers worked on the cuffs of his shirt. "Harry likes how I dress."

Blaise nodded, his grin growing impossibly wider. "Did he tell you that?"

Draco shot him an even look and then turned away to close his wardrobe. "Did Pansy tell you?"

"She _knew_?" Blaise snorted. "No, actually I heard it from Harry himself, well, kinda."

Draco turned back around, his expression careful. "What do you mean?"

His best friend scrunched his face in a grimace of sorts. "Yeah, well, he and the Weasley wizard were shouting about it before breakfast today outside the Hall, seems he's not too keen on you and Harry spending break together."

Draco blinked, a disturbingly icy feeling creeping into his chest and darkening his thoughts at the revelation. "What'd they say?"

Blaise's grin returned. "Why? Are you worried Potter will change his mind?" He shook his head, tutting his disapproval when Draco didn't respond. "You worry too much, Draco, does Harry _really_ seem like the type of wizard to not do something because his friend told him not to?" He shook his head in amusement. "If anything, Harry will probably shag you on the Gryffindor table the next chance he has just to make a point."

Draco walked over and sat on the bed beside his friend, his mind surprisingly a whirling mess. He had felt almost murderous at the thought of the Weasel talking Harry into backing out. He let out what had meant to be a steady breath but it came out a little shaky as he worked to relax, his muscles stubbornly refusing.

A hand landed on his shoulder lightly. "You okay, Draco? You don't look so well."

Draco closed his eyes tightly and nodded. "Yeah, I'm just feeling a bit thirsty," he lied.

Blaise hummed by his side. "Didn't you see Madam Pomfrey this morning?"

Draco forced his eyes open. "Yeah, but it's not a perfect fix," he said quietly, because it was true. Even with the regular feedings he still felt the urge to bite people, drain them - and he would be seeing his mother for the first time since he had been changed. Not that she had given him any reason to worry, but the idea of seeing her, hugging her, interacting with her all as a vampire was discomfiting to say the least. 

And there was also the fact he was bringing Harry with him, and he still didn't know why he had invited the wizard. Well, he did, he wanted the Gryffindor at his house - much more than he had known evidently, his still tense muscles evidence of that - which he knew was a bad thing, but he couldn't make himself care enough to disinvite him at the last moment.

Not to mention the fact that spending time with the Gryffindor somewhere they would undoubtedly be alone for long periods of time, was not a good idea itself. Not if he didn't want to slip up at least, because his control was tenuous at best around the wizard, and the only thing that seemed to help when it got to be too much was touching him. He studied his too-pale hands that were capable of leeching the wizard's life magic without Draco's consent. "I like Harry, Blaise."

The wizard shifted beside him. "Yeah, I figured."

Draco let out a heavy breath through his nose. "It's a bad idea."

"Well, there's not much to do about it, I mean, you like who you like. And Harry seems to feel the same way."

Draco pushed himself up off the bed to check his luggage by the door once more, his mind still frustratingly unsettled. He knew Harry was attracted to him, and he had asked Draco out on a date of sorts and then had accepted Draco's counteroffer. But he was pretty sure the wizard didn't want to be bonded to him for life. He leaned down and began to search through his suitcase. Not that he wanted that either. He cleared his throat. "So how angry did Harry get?" he asked with a feigned nonchalance.

Blaise let out a laugh, Draco's bed creaking under the obviously excited wizard. "You should've seen it! The portraits on the walls all ran for it when their frames started shaking, and Weasley, he looked like he was going to piss himself when Harry pulled his wand on him."

Platinum blond eyebrows raised. Draco looked over his shoulder to see a madly grinning Slytherin. "Did he hex him?"

"No," Blaise said, his expression dropping somewhat, "Head Girl broke it up by getting between them. Bloody witch ruined all the fun."

* * *

Harry shoved an arm-full of clothing into his trunk, just a half hour before he had to leave, his hair still damp as he stood in a navy blue hoodie and jeans. Ron was officially on his shit list. He was lucky they had been friends for so long and gone through so many near-death experiences together, and he was especially fortunate Hermione cared about his well-being. "Stupid Ron."

He glared over at the wizard's empty bed and already missing trunk, he must have packed up while Harry was showering. Good riddance. He had stupidly thought that maybe Ron would react reasonably to his Christmas plans—Harry slammed down the lid to his trunk—that he wouldn't be such an arse over something that was clearly Harry's decision and no one else's.

He had been wrong.

He scanned the area around his bed and the nightstand, eyes searching for anything he might need over the next week, and he stood up with a start. He had almost forgotten. He walked over to the stand by his bed. He pulled out the top drawer, his gaze settling on the small brown box inside as he sucked on his teeth.

* * *

"Imagining all the ways you could use that on Weasley?"

Harry looked up, the skin around his eyes crinkling as he broke into a guilty grin. He placed the wand he had been holding back into his sweatshirt's pocket as Draco entered the compartment. He watched the tall blond send his trunk up with a sharp flick of his hand before taking the bench across from him. He let out a laugh when Draco began to tug at his tie, reminding him of many past train rides when they had not been on such good terms.

Grey eyes flicked over. "What's so funny?"

Harry leaned back against his seat. "It's just weird. This," he said, motioning to the area around them. "Sharing a car. Don't you think?"

Draco stopped messing with his tie to study the wizard for a moment as the train's whistle made sure everyone was aware of its imminent departure. He felt the distinct urge to move across and join the wizard on his seat. He looked out the window instead, over active fingers finding the knot of his tie again. "Yeah, I suppose it is."

Harry watched the Slytherin. "Why do you always wear a tie if you don't like them?"

Draco's gaze flicked back over to the Gryffindor. "They're school policy. We can't all be reckless Gryffindors bent set on breaking the rules."

Harry ran a hand up into his hair, shooting him an unaffected grin, as he eyed the leanly built wizard. He didn't actually care, Draco looked very nice in his clothes. "Yeah, but we're not at school anymore," he said with a small shrug.

Draco's lips pushed up into an amused smile. Harry couldn't help but state the obvious sometimes, and Draco found it surprisingly endearing. "No, we're not, are we?" he said and pulled the tie loose, letting it hang undone around his neck. He then undid the top button of his shirt, feeling markedly better as his gaze shifted back to the window, Hogwarts growing smaller and smaller in the distance as the shiny red engine gained speed, rumbling under his feet.

"Draco..." Harry leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, green eyes peering up at the wizard across from him, who had turned to him once more. "I just wanted to... I mean, I wanted to thank you, for inviting me, you know, to yours." He leaned back once more when he had finished and began to mess with his hair again as he waited for a response.

Draco found himself smiling again at the Gryffindor. "Don't mention it, Harry," he said.

* * *

"Draco dear." Narcissa Malfoy greeted her son warmly as he stepped through the front door at Malfoy Manor, the older witch standing in a long, dark green dress. "I'm so glad you're home," she said, moving forward and pulling her son into an embrace when he kept his distance.

Draco stiffened under the touch for only a second before his arms lifted, wrapping carefully around his mother as he breathed a little easier than he had in months. "It's good to be home," he said softly and then pulled back to motion to Harry, who was standing awkwardly just inside the door, predictably messing with his hair. Draco stifled a grin, it was really nice having the wizard in his house, really nice. He pushed the thought away, a warmth taking up residence in his chest despite his efforts. "Mother, you know Harry."

Narcissa smiled at the silent Gryffindor, the expression a little wider than Draco was used to seeing on his mother. "Of course. Welcome Harry, I was _so_ pleased when Draco informed me you would be joining us for the holidays."

Harry nodded ever so slightly, suddenly wishing he had worn something more appropriate as he stood in the mostly marble two-story entryway with the two nicely dressed wizards. "Thank you for having me, Mrs. Malfoy," he said politely.

"It's my pleasure. Please," she said, motioning them further inside, the door closing behind them seemingly on its own. "You two can freshen up, and relax a little, tea time will be at six."

Harry turned to get his trunk only to find a house elf glaring up at him. He frowned, opening his mouth to ask it what its problem was when it lifted a knobby hand and snapped its fingers, disappearing along with his luggage in a _crack_. Harry let out a breath of disbelief, and a hand landed on his shoulder before Draco's breath tickled his ear.

"Don't mind her, Harry. She just thinks you're going to try to free her," Draco whispered, the smile evident in his tone.

Harry let out a laugh as Draco leaned away, and then the blond motioned him to follow as he began to make his way for the dual-sided curved staircase. Harry looked around, taking in the manor as they ascended on the right side; light golden wallpaper glistening ever so slightly under the light shining through tall windows that ran almost the entire length of the stairs on the left wall, white marble steps polished and gleaming, and the dark banister leading up the elaborate stairway appeared to be made of obsidian or something of the sort. "Your house," Harry said as they neared the top, "it's really nice."

Draco waved dismissively, despite the feeling in his chest growing exponentially. He began to lead Harry down a wide hallway, honey-colored closed doors lining either side. "You own the Black estate, don't you?"

Harry held back a grimace. "Yeah, but it's really dark and"—he resisted saying 'depressing'—"well it's not like this," he finished abruptly.

Draco stopped at a door on the left at the end of the hall and pushed it open with a deliberate turn of the knob. "Here you go, your room's just across from mine," he said, motioning to the door on the other side, where he really wanted to take the wizard at that moment. He cleared his throat and rooted himself in place.

Harry walked into the oversized room as Draco remained by the entrance, his sharp gaze following his movement closely and making Harry feel a little uneasy. He made his way over to the bed and sat down on its edge. "All right... Thanks," he said hesitantly, eyeing the blond curiously.

Draco remained silent for a long moment as he studied the wizard sitting on the king-sized bed. He looked like he belonged at Malfoy Manor. He cleared his throat and took a step back. He would have to be extra careful this week. "Yes, well, I'll see you once you've settled in," he said shortly and left, the door swinging shut directly behind him and leaving a confused Harry behind.

* * *

"Harry..."

Harry's eyes shifted jerkily under closed lids, a silky smooth voice beckoning him from the restless sleep he had unintentionally fallen into. He groaned and rolled over, stopping short when his body ran into another.

Green eyes popped open to find almost black ones meeting them. "Draco," he said, his voice rough from sleep, "what're you doing in here?"

"You said my name," Draco said simply, not adding that it really had been more of a _groan_ , and more than once, that had drawn him from his room across the hallway and into the sleeping wizard's _._ He settled his right hand on Harry's side just where his sweatshirt rested over his jeans, and he began to toy with the material between his thumb and index. "Were you dreaming about me?"

Harry blinked a few times, broken memories of pale skin, talented hands and crimson lips flashed in his mind and made his pulse pick up. "Ah, I don't really remember," he said and then shifted closer when the wizard's hand began to slide under his top, cool fingertips grazing up his side, and then they began to trail back down towards his slacks as Draco held his gaze. He started to move even closer, but stopped. "Is this okay?" he asked, "I mean, at your house and all?"

A smirk pulled up the corners of Draco's mouth. "Yeah, it's fine, the rooms lock themselves for this type of thing," he said and then leaned forward, inhaling slowly and his eyes falling shut as the wizard's tempting scent filled his senses. "They sound proof too," he said in a husky murmur, leaning in, red lips almost grazing the skin below the Gryffindor's solid jawline.

Harry let out a sleep-laced groan when a tongue ran languidly up the front of his neck, stopping just below his chin and making his breath catch in his throat. "Fuck, Draco."

Draco hummed appreciatively. "You like that, Harry?"

Harry grabbed Draco's hips and pulled them closer as he pushed his own forward to show him just how much he liked it, a low noise rumbling in the vampire's chest in response.

Draco began to place soft kisses down the wizard's neck, stopping when he reached material. "You should take this off," he said quietly, fingering the dark cotton material, and then Harry was rolling on his back, pulling both the hoodie and shirt underneath over his head in one fluid movement, revealing a tone chest and sculpted stomach muscles. Draco only had a moment to admire the wizard's tone physique before lips were pressing against his, and fingers began to work quickly at the buttons of his shirt.

Draco breathed in deeply when warm fingers nudged his sleeves over his shoulders, the blond shifting to let Harry remove the shirt fully as they continued to kiss, and then one of his hands was in soft messy locks that tortured his restless fingers most days. "Harry," he whispered against lips when they parted to breathe, and then groaned when Harry held his hips still to guide himself, sliding along him through too much clothing.

He dipped his chin, his lips moving back down to the wizard's tempting neck, his hands suddenly running eagerly ahead of his distracted mouth to land on the top button of Harry's jeans. He tugged at it questioningly. "Can I?" he asked around heavy breaths against the wizard's collarbone, as he tried to keep his teeth from sinking into soft flushed skin. He couldn't do it. He wouldn't.

Harry nodded jerkily. "Yeah," he said quickly, and then Draco pushed him flat on his back before shifting down and undoing his jeans with impressive speed. Harry moved up onto his elbows, pitch-dark eyebrows raised as he looked down at the smirking vampire. "Did you just use your powers to do that?" he asked, sounding slightly amused.

"Perhaps," Draco said and then began to move down even further as he pulled the wizard's jeans all the way off for him, leaving him in only a pair of Gryffindor-red boxers. He leaned up to look over the black-haired wizard appreciatively—Harry was _very_ fit—and then he began to undo his own slacks, pushing them down and off before crawling back up until he was holding himself directly over Harry on his knees and hands, platinum blond locks falling down to frame his face as he looked directly into green eyes; green eyes that he couldn't seem to get out of his head no matter _how_ hard he tried. "I like you, Harry."

Harry's lips parted ever so slightly at the admission, his eyes widening. "Really...?"

A breath of a laugh forced itself out between parted red lips. "That's your response?" the Slytherin asked with no small degree of humor, and he huffed another laugh, ignoring the unsure feeling at the response.

Harry blinked a few times, and then something registered in his expression, and he added in a rush, "Oh, yeah, I, yeah I like you too, Draco."

Draco leaned down and started laughing against silky red bed sheets just above Harry's shoulder, relief and amusement mixing in his chest along with the happy warmth he had felt ever since Harry had stepped foot into his home. He really did like the wizard.

"No, I _do_ ," Harry insisted, midnight brows pushing down. "A lot actually," he added somewhat angrily.

Draco stopped laughing suddenly at the last part and leaned back, his expression wholly too contemplative for Harry as he studied him, as if he were searching for something, something Harry didn't even know himself, or maybe something he didn't want to know just yet. And so the Gryffindor leaned up and captured infuriating lips to break his gaze, his hand sliding up into silky platinum locks a second later, and pulling Draco down and closer. His lips parted naturally, and his groan slipped between Draco's lips when the blond's cool stomach made contact with his own warm one. Then a soft hand was ghosting down his bare side, sending chills down his spine before stopping at his pants to slide more inward, cool fingers curling around its waistline and tugging questioningly.

Harry nodded jerkily, his lips parting from Draco's when the blond pushed up a little onto his knees, his red lips even brighter as he breathed shallowly, dark eyes trained on Harry.

"Harry," he said, and his voice sounded rough, rougher than Harry would have thought the usually smooth Slytherin could sound, "what do you want me to do?"

Harry didn't respond at first. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his heart pounding against his ribs as long fingers rested just under his pants, brushing sensitive skin, but not quite as sensitive as the skin just a bit _lower_ , waiting patiently for his go ahead. He looked up at the tall blond, his usually kept hair bed mussed, and sharp eyes soft as they met his gaze, and Harry felt like all the air had left his chest. He lifted his hips and pushed his pants down, kicking them off as he said, "You can pick."

Draco's mouth crooked up on the right side. "All right," he said in a satisfied tone and then slinked down, maintaining eye contact the whole way until his lips met Harry's tip just as his fingers wrapped around him, making direct contact for the first time.

" _Oh fuck_ ," Harry gasped out, his head falling back as lips wrapped around him, and he was slowly enveloped. He groaned, the sound reverberating in his chest, and a tongue flicked out and ran along him. His eyes fell shut and back arched up when Draco began to move down over him, and then a firm hand settled on his lower stomach and gently pressed him back down against cool sheets, holding his lower body in place as he continued to slide over the wizard with his mouth.

Harry's breath came in short gasps as Draco's lips and tongue moved over him and around him in a way that made the breathless wizard want to profess his undying adulation for said body parts, body parts that he had once somehow hated with a passion.

The blond's tongue ran widely along the bottom of his entire length from base to tip, and he groaned and half whined at the incredible feeling. Never again, he could never hate them again. His hands settled gently on blond locks, and he forced his eyes open to watch the Slytherin move up and down over him. He cursed, his breath catching in his throat at the sight, and suddenly he felt a familiar tightening down low. "Draco, I'm-Draco, I—" He patted the wizard's head urgently.

Draco pulled back, his hand still moving, and he met Harry's gaze, grey eyes almost warm from the heated emotion emanating from them in waves, and Harry groaned the Slytherin's _name_ , pushing up over and over into the wizard's fist as he finished.

He blinked a few times, his breath slowing, and he licked dry lips as he watched Draco carefully remove his hand, eyeing his covered fingers with a curious look.

Draco looked down at the warm liquid on his hand and then back down to a flushed Harry. "Was that good for you?" he asked in a tight voice, his own heart pounding harder in his chest even as Harry's continued to slow.

Harry let out a laugh and then sat up, meeting Draco's lips in an insistent kiss as he nodded and pulled the wizard closer, Draco holding his covered hand far out to the side. Harry laughed again as he pulled back. "What're you doing?"

Draco lifted one eyebrow. "Trying not to get this all over you, Harry."

Harry laughed again and then grabbed Draco's wrist, pulling his hand closer to eye it for a moment before lifting it to his mouth and reaching out his tongue, making blond eyelashes dip and a throaty groan escape red lips as he carefully licked himself off the wizard's hand. "There. All clean."

Draco laughed roughly, the sound cutting off when Harry's hand settled over his boxers. "I could have... I could've evanescoed it ...you know," he said in an unsteady voice.

Harry nodded and then slid his hand under black boxers, making Draco's chin drop towards his chest. "I know," he said and began to move his hand over him. "I know."


	15. Chapter 15

"Dinner was good," Harry said as he walked beside Draco, hands stuffed in his pockets, the blond leading him down a long hallway, having said he wanted to show him something after he had eaten. "Are your meals always so... extensive?" he asked when the vampire didn't respond.

Draco laughed at that. "Yeah, I remember worrying before attending Hogwarts that I'd hate the food." It seemed such an odd concern, now that he couldn't stand the thought of food, or mealtime itself for that matter. His mother had been thoughtful though and had all the dishes placed at once, instead of spreading it out into courses like they had _before_. And watching Harry eat had been quite the pleasant distraction. He turned left and started up a spiral staircase that Harry hadn't even noticed at first glance.

"Did you?"

Draco grinned wryly over his shoulder at the Gryffindor. "No, but it was definitely a shock. I'd never seen such unhealthy food." He stopped at the top of the stairs to meet a solid stone wall. The blond pulled out his wand and waved it in an intricate pattern, and an arched wooden door slowly appeared, reminding Harry somewhat of the Room of Requirement at school. He pushed it open to reveal a tower of sorts, stepping in as he tucked his wand back in his pocket. "Here we are."

Harry looked around the smallish round room curiously. It was simple; walls unfinished grey bricks like at Hogwarts with a high ceiling, the only furniture a curved oversized, Slytherin green sofa fitted flush against the back wall that was big enough to sleep on, and the front wall was made of windows that appeared to be transluscent bricks and looked out onto what must be the manor's rear grounds.

"The owlery is above here, but there's a different stairway to get to it."

Harry nodded as he walked over to the outlook, and the window disappeared when he leaned in close. Dark eyebrows lifted in surprise, and he rested his hands on the stone windowsill-turned-banister as he surveyed the area a few stories below, a slight breeze ruffling his hair. There was a large body of water at least a hundred yards out, the crescent moon in the clear night sky reflecting off its smooth surface, and tall trees beyond it, looking like they went on for miles, a private forest of sorts. He breathed in deeply, the air fresh and not as cold as he would have expected. "It's really nice up here," he said, quietly.

"The magic's quite impressive isn't it?" Draco asked, as he settled on the couch behind Harry. "The best concealment charms there are, I'd dare say."

Harry looked over his shoulder. "You did this?"

Draco smirked. "Yeah, but I didn't come up with the charms, my godfather did. He taught them to me though - said it was an early birthday gift." His gaze shifted at the last part, grey eyes growing more distant.

Harry walked over and sat down, leaving some space between them. "That was nice of him," he hedged, not quite able to picture the Potions professor as an indulgent godfather to the blond wizard.

Draco blinked a few times and then sniffed. "Yes, well, he was lying of course, it was because he knew Voldemort was planning to move his base to the manor." He leaned back, running an arm along the back of the sofa, appearing unaffected despite the bitterness in his words.

Harry didn't say anything, pushing away the thoughts of war for another time.

Draco looked over to him. "You're the first I've shown this place to, not even my mum knows about it. I'm a private person, Harry, if you haven't gathered that."

Harry nodded, his hand messing with his wild locks. "Yeah, I like my privacy too."

Draco grinned. "That's an understatement, I remember countless interviews you turned down. You're a bloody steel trap." He nudged the wizard's leg with his knee when Harry looked abashed. "I mean that as a compliment."

"You're complimenting me?" Harry asked, his tone not a little amused.

Draco snorted. "Yeah, do you find that so unbelievable?"

Harry nodded, lips tugging in an upward fashion. "Yeah, I do actually. I didn't even think you capable until just recently, and even then I thought it was just an oversight on your part."

Draco grinned gamely. He shifted closer, his side touching lightly against Harry's, grey eyes flashing with some emotion that made Harry's pulse pick up its pace. "All right then," the blond said, before adding rather abruptly, "I like your hair."

Harry lifted dark eyebrows skeptically. "Really?" he asked the impeccably kept wizard, disbelief obvious.

"Really." Draco nodded matter-of-factly. "It's an utter mess all the time."

Harry laughed heartily at that. "That's not really a compliment."

Draco lifted his hand off the back of the sofa, and ran fingers gently through the wizard's unruly locks. "It is," he said with an impish grin. And then his gaze shifted down. "And your lips," he said more quietly, grey eyes softening, "I like how they're always a little parted when you're thinking really hard but haven't quite figured out what to do."

Harry swallowed, then his tongue darted out and wet said lips on its own, the wizard's gentle touches muddling his thoughts. "Yeah?" he asked a little more roughly.

Draco pressed his own lips together gently and nodded slightly. "Yeah," he said and smiled, the bottoms of straight white teeth showing. "You want to know what else I like about you, Harry?"

Harry didn't respond right way... because he wasn't so sure he did, because he was starting to feel something odd in his chest, something he didn't think he should feel when he was looking into grey eyes. "Yeah ...okay," he said anyway.

Draco leaned in closer, the back of his hand ghosting along the wizard's solid jaw. "Your eyes," he said, his voice almost a whisper if not for the deep tones as he looked into expressive green orbs, "because I can always tell what you're thinking."

Harry's breath passed quickly over his lips. "Draco," he said, and platinum eyebrows lifted ever so slightly in response. "Your compliments are a bit odd."

Draco laughed, flashing sharp canines, and then said in a highly amused tone, "What? You don't like them?"

"No, no, I do actually," Harry said, and then he leaned in, closing the gap between their lips, the hand on his jaw sliding down and settling nicely on his neck. "I like them a lot," he said, and his lips pressed against smiling red lips a second time. "A lot." His mouth opened, and his tongue moved into Draco's when his parted in response, his hand settling over top a pounding heart with a beat that matched his own.

* * *

Harry groaned as the morning light greeted him obstinately, pulling him too early from a peaceful sleep. He sat up slowly, dark red sheets falling down to form a small heap in his lap. The wizard scrubbed at his face with one hand, reaching out for his glasses blindly with the other, fingers finding and grabbing onto them lazily. He pushed black-rimmed frames up the bridge of his nose, a yawn escaping tired lips, as he blinked away fuzzy vision.

He looked around a large, brightly lit room, his waking mind placing his whereabouts reassuringly if not slowly. He was at Draco's for break. A small smile tugged at his mouth, and he pushed the blankets down and climbed out of the bed, making his way in only a pair of plaid boxers across heated wooden floors to his trunk that was set under tall windows on the wall opposite his bed, having forgone unpacking to use the long dresser on the wall that was shared with the hallway.

He crouched down and flipped the lid open, digging through the messily packed trunk for something a little nicer to wear his second day at Malfoy Manor. He had eaten dinner with Draco and his mother the night before, and it had been a surprisingly rather laid back affair despite the large table and elaborate dishes, and then Draco had shown him his private space, and they had kissed. Not snogged. Kissed. It had been nice - and unexpected - but really nice.

Harry pulled out a black-button up, lips pulling to the side, Hermione had bought it for him as an early Christmas gift, saying something to the affect that it complimented his dark features and to pack it. He dropped the top in his lap, and then hands settled on a pair of tan slacks. He sighed and pulled them out. Dressing up over break wasn't that bad.

* * *

 

"Come in," Harry said a few minutes later when a sharp knock landed on his door.

The door swung open. "Harry, you're up," Draco said, the small amount of surprise in his voice not going unnoticed. He had always assumed the wizard to be the late-rising sort, and he had certainly slept in the one time he had stayed in his room at school.

Harry turned, his fingers working on the last few buttons to his shirt, as he eyed the sharply dressed wizard. He smiled, begrudgingly. "Yeah, well your house is bloody bright in the morning."

Draco nodded, his gaze flitting over the wizard as he entered, letting the door shut behind him. "Yes, my mother had it situated with that in mind." He tilted his head, grey eyes running over the wizard another time. "You look nice today."

Harry huffed a laugh as he made his way over to the king-sized bed. "Yeah, I guess I should have worn something like this yesterday, I got ready at the last minute." He picked up his wand from the nightstand and tucked it into an inside pocket in his shirt, refusing to think about why he had been late to get ready, and then hands were on his sides. He looked up to meet dark grey eyes.

"No, I didn't mean it that way, you looked nice yesterday too," Draco said, and he tugged him closer. "I like having you here, Harry, I'm glad you came."

"Yeah?" Harry asked, somewhat surprised, Draco nodded, his hands sliding up under his not-yet-tucked shirt to rest on his skin. He felt like a portion of his magic practically jumped into the vampire's hands, and his eyelids drooped as he relaxed, an unnoticed tension melting away.

Draco sucked in a slow breath at the feeling of his body warming, the Gryffindor's response not going unnoticed. "Does that feel good to you, Harry?" he asked, his words having an odd quality to them that Harry couldn't quite place. "It doesn't _bother_ you?"

Harry moved closer, leaning into the blond's touch. He shook his head, holding back a groan when the vampire ran fingertips along his stomach at a teasing pace. "No, no it doesn't bother me."

Draco leaned down, running his hands along the wizard to keep his thirst at bay. "But do you like it?" he whispered in his ear.

"Yeah I do," Harry said roughly, and then lips were on his. He opened his mouth, and Draco's tongue met his eagerly, Harry's hands grasping the wizard's hips, and he pushed him back the few steps to his temporary bed.

Draco's legs bent when the backs of his knees met the mattress, and he pulled Harry down with him, pushing him on his back immediately and climbing on top of him, straddling his hips. He edged up the wizard's shirt as he leaned his upper body down, his mouth making contact with freshly exposed warm skin as his own body hummed with borrowed heat.

"You taste so good," Draco said quietly, appreciatively, and then his lips moved up considerably higher and began an increasingly familiar trail, stopping at the skin just above the wizard's collar, his breath rough as he checked his control before moving any further. Harry began to undo his shirt.

"Are we okay?" Harry asked. "Is your mom waiting?"

Draco let out a laugh. He opened his mouth carefully and ran his tongue along the wizard's warm skin where his teeth were aching to mark, eliciting a moan. "No, it's fine, she's not here. We've the whole day to ourselves," he said with a smirk, and when Harry had pulled off his shirt, he began to move back down the wizard's body. Eager hands settling on buttons when a knock froze his fingers.

"Draco, are you in there?" was shouted through the door.

Draco's eyes fell shut, and he cursed.

Harry frowned. "Is - is that - is that Blaise?" he asked between heavy breaths.

Draco nodded regretfully when there was another knock and pushed off Harry, grabbing his shirt and shrugging it on as he strode over to the door, mentally continuing to curse his friend. He glanced over his shoulder, making sure Harry was sitting up and not looking too disheveled.

"Draco? Your mum told me you were here, _open up_."

Draco turned back, his eyes darkening, and he opened the door to be greeted by a devil-may-care grin.

"Draco, you look like shit, mate," Blaise said and then pushed by him to walk into Harry's room. "Hello, Harry," he greeted cheerfully, making a still turned around Draco grit his teeth.

"I've come to keep you two company," he chirped.

* * *

Draco sat stiffly at the breakfast table, beside Harry and across from Blaise, in the kitchen used by his mother, the house elf kitchen directly below. He had no plate in front of him as the two wizards ate, and he couldn't help but feel more uncomfortable than he had the night before for some reason. He ran his tongue along extra sharp teeth.

"So has Draco been keeping you locked up in your room so far?" Blaise asked with a grin, the expression widening when Harry coughed in response. "Ah, Draco, have you been a poor host?"

Draco sniffed, running his fingers along his tie, adjusting it so that it lay perfectly. "We only just got here yesterday evening, Blaise. Which reminds me, I thought you couldn't make it until Christmas Day."

Blaise shrugged. "Changed my plans." He looked back to Harry. "Fancy a friendly match after we eat, Harry?"

Harry blinked. "Ah, Quidditch?"

Blaise nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, Draco has a full-sized pitch out back, haven't you seen it?"

Harry shook his head, setting down his glass of pumpkin juice. "No, I haven't. Sure." He looked to Draco. "Unless you had something planned, that is."

Draco held back a snide remark. It wouldn't do to take out his annoyance with Blaise on Harry. "No, nothing that can't wait."

"Splendid," Blaise said with a laugh, winking at Draco when he was shot a harsh look. "You going to join us, Draco?"

* * *

Draco sat in the kitchen alone thirty minutes later, having shifted to Blaise's now empty chair by the window, his gaze trained on the area just outside where two wizards whizzed around on brooms, his fingers drumming the tabletop a little too quickly. Blaise was being an asshole, but for what reason he wasn't quite sure yet.

He and his best friend admittedly had an unusual friendship. Sometimes the wizard was uncharacteristically thoughtful and loyal to a fault, and other times, such as just then, he was a complete asshole. But usually the latter, it was for a reason. Lips pressed tightly together when the two wizards pulled up to rest beside each other, and Blaise patted Harry on the back. It had better be for a very good reason this time.

He looked away. Just a friendly gesture there was no reason to get upset. After all, he and Harry weren't even together, they had only ever claimed to be friends, and if they happened to snog and get off together all the better. He hummed, the sound more like a growl when Blaise ruffled the Gryffindor's windswept black locks. "I'll kill him."

"Draco."

The blond turned sharply at the greeting to meet his mother's grey eyes. "Mother." He stood up, waiting for the witch to walk over and take a seat before settling back down. "I thought you were going to be out for the day."

His mother smiled serenely. "I was, but then something came up, and I had to delay my plans for another day."

Draco held back a frown at the cryptic statement. "I see."

A cup of steeped black tea appeared in front of his mother, and she placed the accompanied napkin in her lap. "I see Blaise is having a good time with Harry."

Draco scowled. "Yes, he is." The expression only deepened when he was met with a knowing smile.

"Draco dear," his mother said, placing a hand over top his clenched one. "Blaise is a good friend."

Draco nodded stiffly. He had his doubts at the moment. "Yes, of course, Mother."

The witch let out a tinkling laugh. "You never did like to share. I suppose that was my fault, I did spoil you growing up."

Draco blinked slowly. "Harry is not a toy."

"No, he definitely is not," his mother said in amusement, and then she took a sip of her tea, setting the cup down carefully onto its matching plate before saying in a more serious tone, "I'm glad we actually have this moment to talk privately. I've been wanting to ask you what your intentions are with Mr. Potter."

Draco resisted glancing out the window when he heard Blaise let out a whoop and Harry laugh boisterously. "My intentions?"

"Yes." She nodded. "You seem to be quite fond of each other," she said in a light tone, putting Draco on edge.

"We've only just started being friends," he said in a smooth voice despite the uneasiness he felt.

His mother's eyebrows lifted in a seemingly curious manner. "Oh. Just friends, you say?"

Draco hummed mentally. "Yes. Harry and I are _just_ friends."

The witch's eyebrows lifted further. "Are you sure?"

"Mother," he said, the smallest amount of emotion leaking into his words, "I'm not keeping anything from you, Harry and I are only friends, of that, I assure you."

The witch's eyebrows smoothed, and she patted Draco's hand in a reassuring manner. "If you say so, dear." She lifted her cup and took another sip before adding in a seemingly benign voice, "I can't say I'm not a little disappointed. After all, you two would make an excellent match considering." She took another sip.

Draco's eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly. "Considering?"

The witch nodded. "Yes, I mean, considering he's immortal."


	16. Chapter 16

Draco sat, completely silent, as a certain word whirled around in his head. Immortal. Harry was immortal. Of course, he should have known.

Although.. not really.

He cleared his throat and then said in an ever so slightly hoarse voice, "Excuse me, Mother," and pushed up from the table, not paying attention when his mother responded in understanding as he turned away.

Draco walked woodenly out of the kitchen and took the first left corner that led to the French doors, which in turn led out to the pitch where Harry and Blaise were flying.

The tall blond found himself suddenly standing outside in the brisk winter air, and looking up at the two wizards flying underneath dark grey clouds, and his gaze settled on a mop of wild black hair.

* * *

"You sure you don't want any, Dray?" Blaise asked that night after dinner, carelessly offering a half-empty bottle of firewhiskey up in the air, looking like he might drop it at any moment, his words slurred.

Draco raised a single eyebrow, lips pressed firmly together, his gaze disapproving. Not that his friend would notice or care - he was thoroughly pissed up. The wizard sat with a sloppy grin beside a quiet, but also grinning, Harry on dark hardwood floors near the fire in Draco's once favorite library. He wasn't so sure anymore, not after having watched his supposed best friend make pass after pass at Harry for the last hour in it. Maybe the one in the west wing would take its place, it had a better view of the woods anyway.

"So, what do y'say?" Blaise asked again, drawing Draco's attention back. He blinked glassy eyes, as he shot an unfocused but still somehow expectant look at the blond, who was sitting in a high back chair a few feet away, his expression still knowingly severe.

Draco's focus flicked momentarily over to the tall blue fir that stood in the corner of the room, having just been set up earlier that day by the elves. Its soft bluish-green needles were partially lit by colorless, enchanted twinkling lights, the flickering warm glow of the fireplace adding to the light show in the otherwise dimly lit room. He would have to request the trees be switched if he started frequenting the other.

"Draco? Don't you want to join us?"

The vampire let out a measured breath and then spoke up finally. "No, I've _told_ you already, Blaise, it doesn't work _anymore_ ," he said shortly, keeping his gaze trained on his best friend and away from Harry. He didn't blame the wizard for not telling him he was immortal, it was understandable, but he couldn't say he was exactly pleased with it either; it would have been good to have known, especially considering his magic leeching abilities. Pale fingers clenched tightly at the thought. Harry would tell him in his own time, if he wanted. Not that patience was one of Draco's stronger suits.

"Right. Forgot," Blaise said, looking somewhat apologetic, and then he let out a low groan and handed the bottle to Harry. "Here, Harry, I'd better get to bed anyway." He leaned over then, almost touching the Gryffindor's ear with his lips. "Maybe you can cheer him up a bit," he whispered and then winked at the wizard as he planted his hand on the floor and pushed himself up. He walked unsteadily by Draco, patting his head, and chuckled under his breath when the blond didn't move away in protest.

Draco glowered straight ahead at the lit fireplace as he resisted the urge to attack his best friend. They would talk later.

"So..."

Darkened grey eyes slowly trailed over to where Harry sat, rather uncomfortably, the blond noted. He said nothing.

Harry cleared his throat and set the bottle of firewhiskey on the floor beside him, glancing around for its lid but not finding it. He wasn't really into drinking, it always hit him way too quickly. He'd only had a few shots worth at most, Blaise having easily drank more than his share, and already his thoughts were more sluggish and his movements a little clumsy. He would have turned Zabini down completely, but Draco had been acting very odd all day, ever since he and the Slytherin had finished their two-person Quidditch game after breakfast, and Harry had distractedly accepted the drink. And once he'd started, he really hadn't seen a reason not to continue - especially when he had started to relax after the first couple sips.

"You're not going to drink anymore?" The words were asked neutrally enough.

Green eyes flicked up. "What?" Harry gave himself a mental shake. "Oh, uh no," he said and then shifted his attention to the almost two-story tree in the corner. It really was an impressive Christmas tree. He had been surprised to find quite a few decorated trees in Malfoy manor as Blaise had taken him around in search of the 'perfect drinking spot' as he had called it.

Harry leaned back on his hands, and sprawled long legs out in front of him, stretching them, his fitted black button up untucked. "I'm not much of a drinker to be honest." He heard a snort and looked over, pitch-black brows lifted.

Draco met the wizard's somewhat agitated gaze, and he considered doing one of two things at that moment.

One, call Harry out on not telling him about his 'unnatural resilience' one of the many, _many_ times he had leeched his life magic, and had worried quite vocally about his safety.

Two - snog him - because the infuriating Gryffindor was looking very snog worthy at that moment. His black shirt a little crumpled from wear and somehow looking even better for it especially with his hair, which was even more unruly than usual after flying, not to mention his lean muscles that were displayed quite perfectly with the way he was leaning back, making the material stretch across his tone chest and stomach and leaving little to the imagination.

Draco looked away, mentally vetoing the second choice, it was just his vampirism clouding his thoughts. "You could have fooled me," he said a little too dryly not to be taken harshly.

Harry let out a laugh, and almost black eyes flashed back to meet his. Harry shook his head. "You're a right arse sometimes, Malfoy."

Draco blinked. "You know Blaise is flirting with you, right?"

Harry's gaze shifted back to the tree. "Does that bother you?" he asked, his tone sounding curious.

"No."

Harry grinned, not looking over. He studied the twinkling lights. "You know, I think this is my favorite tree, I like the white lights. Hermione and Ron prefer color ones, but the white ones always remind me of winter more, the snow and all, y'know?" He looked over when he received no response to see Draco standing up, the wizard making his way over.

Draco settled down beside him, mirroring his position. He shifted his weight to lean on just his right hand and pulled his tie loose with the other, undoing it deftly with long fingers. He let out a silent breath as his mind uncoiled a little. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

Harry glanced back to the tree. "It could use some ornaments though."

Draco's mouth curled up over so slightly on the right side. "Never satisfied are you, Potter?" he teased.

Harry shrugged one shoulder, holding back a smile. "You're one to talk."

Draco looked over to him. "What type of ornaments do you like?"

Harry tilted his head back, exposing his neck - and Draco found himself swallowing back venom that was trying to coat his canines at the sight. "Ah.. homemade ones mostly. Like the shoddy ones you make in primary," he said with a laugh.

Draco eyed the tree, with a look of open skepticism. "I'm not sure that would look so good."

Harry laughed again, the sound warmer. "Well, what would you suggest then?"

Draco pressed his lips together and hummed seriously, Harry's laughs growing, and he held back a grin. "If I had to choose, crystal or enchanted frozen ones."

Harry nodded after studying the tree critically for a moment. "You know, I think they could both work."

Draco huffed a laugh. "That would look terrible."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Or not. It might look brilliant."

Draco felt the wizard shift closer then, and soon a shoulder was brushing his. "I'll tell you what, if you make a shoddy ornament you're more than welcome to put it on my tree."

"Your tree?" Harry asked, amusement in his voice.

Draco nodded. "This is my favorite library, and so I picked the tree and decorations. So yes, my tree."

Harry cocked his head to the side, shooting Draco a mischievous grin. "And you'd let me add ornaments to it?"

Draco shrugged one shoulder. "As long as they're not too homely. I'm willing to share my tree with you."

Harry laughed at that. "Maybe I'll take you up on your offer."

Draco found himself smiling, and he leaned over and placed a kiss on Harry's neck, feeling relaxed the first time that day since breakfast. "You should," he said quietly against warm skin, and he felt Harry grin. He licked his lips and then added in a lower voice, "I've got another proposition for you too, Potter."

Harry blinked a few times and swallowed around the sudden lump in his chest at the blond's words. He cleared his throat before speaking in a rough voice. "Yeah? What's that, Malfoy?"

Draco's lips curled into a private smile as he remained hovering over the wizard's skin. "Stay with me tonight."


	17. Chapter 17

"So... this is your bedroom?" Harry looked around the massive room that could easily fit three of his current guest room in it with space to spare. The walls ran up at least two stories, floor to ceiling windows taking up a large portion of two of the four light grey walls, a set of French doors leading out to a lit stone balcony. The floors were a honey colored hardwood, the planks smooth and wide and covered only by a rug that flanked the dark, cherry wood king-sized bed with drawn white curtains that didn't look they could hold out much sunlight if pulled, or offer reliable privacy for that matter. A sitting area sat off to the side, looking out on the balcony and expansive grounds, and an oversized wardrobe and long dresser that matched the bed's frame finished off the space.

Draco hid an amused smile as his back faced the messy-haired and still slightly tipsy Gryffindor, who was walking around his room at that moment, checking out everything. He rummaged through one of the top drawers of the long chest situated on the back wall of his room, pulling out a pair of red silk pajama pants, slung it over his shoulder and continued to look. "Yes it is, the bathroom is the door over there," he offered, motioning to said door to his left, as the fingers of his right hand wrapped around complimentary green pants, his mother obviously having gone Christmas shopping for him.

"Nice bed."

Draco's smile curled even further up red lips, and he turned to find a heavy-lidded Harry sitting on the edge of his four-poster bed. "You like it, Harry?" he asked, his words warming and curling around the wizard's name when the Gryffindor gave it a test bounce. He padded socked feet over the plush steel-colored rug that sat dutifully in front of his bed and held out the pajamas in his hand in offering.

Harry blinked and then his gaze flicked between the offered pants and the ones still slung over Draco's right shoulder.

"House snob much, Potter?" Draco asked, his grin gamely as he continued to hold out the Slytherin green pants, and he supressed a laugh when Harry's emerald eyes sharpened, a familiar stubborn expression settling on his features, and he grabbed the pants as he stood, leaving only inches between him and the blond.

"No, I just don't like being messed with," Harry said, his tone obstinate, like Draco had just handed him a poisonous potion, and he was going to take it just to prove he wasn't the least bit put out.

Draco bit down on his lower lip, trying to control his amusement at the ruffled Gryffindor. "I'm not messing with you, Harry," he said, his voice edged with a laugh but sincere.

"No?" Harry asked, taking a step closer, disbelieving.

Draco raised platinum brows and shook his head ever so slightly. "No. These are for me, I happen to like red, I just don't wear it at school,"—He sniffed—"for obvious reasons."

Harry's expression slowly softened. "Ah," he said, a little abashed, "Well... Thanks then."

Draco felt himself smiling again, the wizard drawing that expression from him far too much as of late. "Don't mention it." And then grey eyes darted down to the wizard's lips. "You can change in the bathroom, if you'd like, since you wanted to shower," he said, in a lowered voice, his fingers lifting of their own accord to trail down the wizard's shirt-covered side as his mind generously supplied agreeable images of water and Harry's skin for him.

Harry nodded and took a step away - putting some space between him and the smiling blond with amused grey eyes and teasing tone. He cleared his throat and scrubbed a hand through his hair, ignoring the growing warmth in his chest, as his eyes darted around the room. He was so fucked. "Yeah, all right. Don't you need to use it too?" he asked, trying for nonchalant but not quite succeeding.

"Is that an invitation?"

Harry's head jerked back, to meet grey eyes, and he suddenly found himself nodding. "Yeah, if you want."

* * *

"Fuck," Harry cursed. Hot water sprayed down heavily from above, steam from the evaporating water quickly filling the glass-enclosed shower and thickening what air could fit between two soaked bodies. Clothes lay abandoned and strewn haphazardly throughout the all-marble bathroom just outside, Draco's tie still draped across the basin faucet where Harry had thrown it.

"Shit, Harry," Draco groaned, his voice deep and as heated as the water running down them, as he held the Gryffindor close to him, their bodies pressed together, flush, and sensitive skin brushing deliciously along equally sensitive skin, the wizard's mouth-watering scent amplified in the confined steamy space. "You smell... so good," he murmured, and then his tongue reached out to trail widely up a wet neck, clearing it of water droplets. "And you taste even better."

"Th-thanks," Harry said, the word somehow escaping around heavy breaths, his hands sliding down a tone chest that shook in amusement and porcelain pale skin that didn't flush under the waterfall of hot water like his. Draco's shower was all white marble and frosted glass, the showerhead four times the size of a regular one as it sprayed down over them. "This is nice," he said, and then groaned when Draco's hips rolled forward, rubbing up against him.

"Very," Draco said, practically purring the words, "Very nice. Especially with you." Harry's skin was perfect Draco had decided, tone muscles shaping it and flexing just underneath with each touch he would place on them, making him want to run his fingers all over the Gryffindor's body, just so he could see the entirety of his effect on the dark-haired wizard. "I'm glad you suggested it."

Harry nodded his wholehearted agreement. Showers were good. Showers were very good. A groan rumbled in his chest when Draco's hot mouth pressed, open and hungrily, against the side of his neck, a hand in his hair, pale fingers guiding his mop of wet locks to the side for better access.

"Yeah, yeah, I could get used to this," Harry said roughly, his hand sliding down between them, and then his fingers were wrapping around them both - bringing them together - and he began to slowly slide his hand up and down. Draco's hips jerked forward, and his tongue began to lap more firmly along taut neck muscles, a grateful noise making its way out from somewhere deep.

"Harry..." he whispered, his tone sounding like a request.

And Harry sped up, the feeling of Draco against him making his legs go weak as hot water massaged his muscles alongside talented fingers. Draco was very talented. He had always known that, but only now did he fully appreciate it. "Does - does this feel okay?" he struggled to get out, because it felt much more than okay to the dark-haired wizard, who thought he might go through withdrawal if he had to go without the feeling for too long ever again.

Draco nodded, humming his assent, keeping lips pressed stubbornly to his neck, because they really didn't want to leave, and then pointed white teeth pressed overtop soft skin ever so gently before retracting, almost as if asking permission.

Harry's knees weakened, his body clearly trying to sacrifice itself to the grazing razor-sharp teeth, and he staggered back a step to lean against solid white marble, Draco following his movement. "Do it," he said, his grip tightening and pace picking up more, "It's fine."—And then he felt teeth slice through his skin, and he gasped as blood heated at the source and began to flow from him and into the vampire's groaning mouth.

Draco's senses flooded with pleasure, his tongue being doused in a velvety, hot liquid that made his entire body quiver it was that good, his body pressed comfortingly against Harry's sturdy one, hot fingers wrapped around and moving over him in a way that brought him closer and closer - and all he could think of at that moment was how right it all felt. _Harry. Harry is mine._

" _Draco_ ," the wizard said in a drawn out breath, and then a tightening down low drew the blond's name from his lips again, but more fervently, and he came unraveled with a groan, Draco joining him almost immediately not able to hold back as liquid markedly hotter than the water that ran down them covered him. Harry's hand slowed but still moved over them until Draco's mouth carefully left his neck, and his forehead dropped to rest on Harry's shoulder.

Draco stood, chest rising and falling in tandem with Harry's. He ran hands up and down over sculpted obliques, the touch soothing him and his racing pulse, and then as his breaths began to slow, grey eyes lifted and stopped short to watch in fascination as water swirled with and washed away crimson drops from the wizard's neck as quickly as they could make it to the surface. He lifted a hand, and gently touched near the bite mark, fingers caressing and eliciting a stilted breath from the dark-haired wizard. "Harry," he said quietly despite the rushing sound of falling water, he swallowed, and his gaze lifted fully to meet hooded green eyes. "Harry, are you okay?" he asked as some undefinable emotion filled his chest.

Harry nodded, the movement jerky, his body feeling impossibly heavy as he still leaned back against the shower wall, soaked black locks framing his face. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." He eyed the red-lipped blond who was looking down at him with an intense expression that made his unsteady heart skip a few extra beats. "Are you?"

Draco licked already wet lips and nodded. "Yeah," he lied.


	18. Chapter 18

Harry stood in Slytherin green pajamas, bare feet sank into deep carpet as he looked down at the somehow intimidating, white down comforter before him, an unsure feeling poking at his mind, making his heart do a nervous jig in his chest and his legs want to make a go for the hallway just outside and the guest room's bed. The water from the shower was still running at full force behind a closed bathroom door, Draco having told Harry he'd be out shortly.

Harry let out a slow breath and pulled the blankets back, and a small laugh escaped his lips, the sound a mixture of very different emotions, when he found red sheets hidden underneath. The more he got to know Draco, the more he realized he didn't know anything about him, not really. And maybe he wasn't ready for this.

Sex, that is. Shagging. The horizontal dance. Harry wasn't afraid per say about having sex for the first time, but he was nervous, and very unsure about it all. He looked around the impeccably kept and sparingly furnished but obviously expensively decorated room, and an odd feeling began to creep into his veins, making him see everything in a drastically unforgiving light. He was in Draco Malfoy's house, his bedroom; what was he doing in his bedroom? What were they doing _together_?

Draco had told him he was his intended mate, and so of course Harry responds by going to _his_ house for the holidays, without a second thought about turning down Ron's visit to the Burrow - where he had gone every Christmas since he had been allowed - and then accepts the offer to sleep in _his_ bed after the blond had inexplicably bordered between what seemed indifference and accusatory for most of the day, but over what exactly, Harry hadn't the faintest. And he hadn't asked either, because although Harry was a Gryffindor, he wasn't the most upfront wizard unless anger was spurring him on, and lately Draco just made him smile, and Harry more often than naught simply found himself agreeing to anything Draco requested of him. Not that he had asked for anything that Harry should technically have said no to, but it was unsettling when he thought about it. Although there was the blood drinking—

A hand ran up and tugged at wild black locks as equally styled thoughts continued to race through the wizard’s mind. What would he do if the blond asked him if he could mate with him at some point? Hermione had said that if a vampire didn't eventually mate with their intended, only bad would come of it. What did that even mean? Why hadn’t he asked her? And what was he supposed to do about it? Was he supposed to just go along with it, because Draco needed him to? What would he say? _Sure Draco, no problem, I don't mind being linked with you_ forever _, because we've been getting along the last few months on and off just swimmingly, forget that I don’t even know how you feel about me outside of the whole Vampire mating instincts, or about all the years we hated each other with a passion, or when I almost murdered you_. _Holy shit_. He had almost killed Draco, he had forgotten about that. Damn his selective memory and its uncanny ability to blot out unpleasant memories with ease like they'd never even happened. He shouldn't—

The water shut off then, and Harry found himself climbing onto silky red sheets and casting a quick _nox_ of his wand before placing it on the nightstand beside him. He waited in the dark, the light from the pale moon casting a cold glow on hardwood floors.

And then the door opened.

Draco stepped out, turning off the light from the bathroom with a flick of the wrist and using the scant beams shining through from outside, for light. He strode over to his dresser in red silky pants, pulling a drawer open as Harry studied him from behind. Harry pushed himself up into a sitting position. "What are you getting?"

Draco turned and held up a pair of socks as he began to make his way to the other side of the bed. He sat down on the edge. "I always sleep with socks on." Harry felt his heart begin to even out as Draco lifted his left leg to slide on the benign piece of clothing.

"Ah. Right." Socks. For sleep. Because they were actually going to sleep. Harry let out an unintentionally held breath, not noticing raised platinum brows. That was all he had asked him to do after all - to stay the night. He was overreacting. He let out another breath, feeling markedly better and then found his eyes trailing over the blond as he shifted, giving the wizard a sideways view of his exposed torso as he lifted his right leg. Draco was leaner than him, but the taller wizard’s muscles were long and well defined and felt unbelievably nice under his hands. Harry looked away, chastising his fickle mind and lay back down.

Draco eyed the wizard curiously as he climbed onto the bed, pulling sheets and comforter up to slip under but leaving more than a foot between them as he settled on his side, eyes studying Harry with a look the Gryffindor couldn't decipher before saying in a silky smooth voice, "Goodnight Harry."

Harry blinked.

"...Goodnight," he said slowly, dark eyebrows pulling ever so subtly when grey eyes simply closed. He hadn't expected that. He rolled onto his back and stared up at high white ceilings. He hadn't even tried anything. Had he not enjoyed the shower? He had seemed a bit off at the end, but he seemed fine now. He rolled onto his other side, and rubbed the side of his face overtop the pillow trying to smooth an imagined lump. Maybe-

"Harry." The name was spoken in a way that made Harry feel like he was misbehaving, and he stopped fidgeting.

"Yeah Draco?"

"Are you uncomfortable?"

"What?" Harry asked and then, "Oh. No, no I'm fine, just a little restless. Sorry."

A whisper of a laugh filled the space, and the bed shifted and dipped behind Harry before a body slid in close, claiming the space, and an arm wrapped around his chest, a mouth tickling at his ear. "Do you need some warm milk? Or hot cocoa to help you settle down?"

Harry grinned, a little sheepish. "You'd get that for me?"

Draco settled on the pillow behind Harry and said in an equally amused tone, "No, but I'd have an house elf get it for you." And his arm tightened around the dark-haired wizard's chest as it shook in silent amusement, and he pulled him back even closer, their bodies relaxing as one, seeming to mould perfectly. "I would order a house elf for you at any hour, Harry," he murmured playfully.

And two sets of snickers filled the space and then a peaceful silence took over.

Harry nestled his face into the still somewhat cool sheet of his pillow, finding it oddly more comfortable as he shared it with the blond behind him, and let out a soft breath, and his worries seemed to escape with it. He really didn't give the blond enough credit. "This is nice," he said quietly.

Draco hummed his assent and placed a soft kiss at the nape of Harry's neck below black locks that smelled of eucalyptus and mint, Draco's shampoo, and made him feel exceedingly content and maybe a little smug. "It is," he said, his voice laced with sleep as he lay curled around the wizard's warm body. He felt his mind begin to pull away from consciousness. And he let out a happy hum, his sleep felt so much more natural whenever Harry was around. Tired arms tightened appreciatively around said wizard minutely before loosening once more.

Green eyes fluttered shut, and Harry yawned. "It's Christmas Eve tomorrow," he said.

A shushing noise was his answer.

Harry smiled sleepily. "Sorry."

"Night Harry."

"Night Draco." 

* * *

Draco stood early the next day, looking out on the grounds of his home, the morning sun just beginning to peak over the tree line as birds swooped through the early brisk air. He chanced a glance over his shoulder when he heard a low groan - the door to his room open with a one-way charm on the entryway to keep noises and the cold from seeping in during the colder months - to see a shirtless Harry roll from his back onto his stomach, bringing horribly tangled red sheets with him and claiming Draco's abandoned pillow spot for his own as he rubbed his face against it and wrapped bare arms around it tightly, and then he whispered the blond's name under his breath, the sound content.

Draco felt a smile tug at his lips and a warmth try to ignite itself in his chest. He turned back to the grounds, grey eyes tightening stubbornly around the edges and any trace of the smile dissolving at the action. He had been wrong to have the Gryffindor visit for Christmas, because things between them were escalating quickly, and Draco had barely held himself back from claiming Harry as his mate in the shower. His urge to bite the wizard had always calmed with touch before, but when Harry had told him to bite him, his scent as thick as the steamed air, he had barely been able to resist taking it a step further and making him his, even with the entirety of their bodies pressed tightly against each other.

And there was the fact he still hadn't addressed Harry's immortality with him, because he couldn't for some reason decide if it was his place to mention it. Sure it would have been nice to have known, but Harry had insisted he was fine after each of Draco's magic leaching incidents. So he hadn't actually lied or mislead him, and he could understand why it was not something he had shared with him. Which brought Draco to the real issue at hand, or at least the most concerning.

He was developing feelings for the wizard, real feelings, there was no denying it.

He, Draco Malfoy, who was a former Death Eater and permanent Vampire. And Harry was - well, Harry was Harry Potter. There was no way he'd want an actual relationship with him. He had seen the wizard's response when he had first told him about his mating inclinations. Harry clearly did not want _that_ , and he probably never would, and Draco didn't blame him.

Draco placed cold, pale hands on the equally chilled stone banister, and let his chin drop towards his chest, as a frustrated laugh escaped blood-red lips. It was one thing to mess around, but Draco's feelings were slowly becoming dangerous, because as they grew and became less simple, his self-control seemed to be annoyingly dwindling. He didn't know what to do.


	19. Chapter 19

Harry woke, his breath caught in his throat as he jerked up into a sitting position. He looked around for what had awoken him, blinking uselessly at blurry vision as he tried to place his whereabouts and then a door swung open.

"Harry, you're up." Blaise Zabini strolled through the large bedroom, that Harry's sleep laden-brain finally remembered was Draco's.

The Gryffindor reached a hand up to scrub at his face and then hair as he yawned in lieu of answering, reaching for his glasses blindly on the nearby nightstand.

"Draco wasn't lying, you are a late riser." Blaise sat down on the end of the bed and shot Harry a slow smile. "I'm a little confused as to why he would leave you here all alone though."

Harry pulled the red sheet pooled in his lap up to cover his bare torso as he began to scan the room for his clothes. He cleared his throat. "Ah, yeah, where is Draco?"

Blaise let out an amused laugh, his eyes flicking up to Harry's forehead curiously and then back down. "Good question, Harry. But I haven't the faintest, I just caught him on his way out. And Draco isn't the most informative person."

Harry nodded, pushing down bangs and looking away as he frowned slightly at the news.

"I'm sure he won't be too long, or he would have left you some sort of message." The wizard shifted more onto the bed, leaning on his hand angled towards the Gryffindor as he said, "So, what would you like to do today, Mr. Potter?"

Harry started to brush the wizard off, when an idea popped into his head, and he looked up.

* * *

Harry stepped between a parting brick wall, Blaise by his side as he entered the bustling streets of Diagon Alley. "You didn't have to come, Blaise," Harry said as he glanced around at the decorated shops, floating garland and enchanted twinkling lights strung along the rooftops, a rendition of "White Christmas" he wasn't familiar with blaring overhead with the aid of a sonorous charm and groups of wizards with bags stuffed to the brim, bustling down the cobbled street. Diagon Alley the day of Christmas Eve was the definition of chaotic festivity.

" _Watch out_!" a screechy voice sounded behind the wizard.

And Harry was pulled back a few steps, barely avoiding being trampled by an excited group of middle-aged witches just then passing through the wall from The Leaky Cauldron as they shouted to each other about a flash sell at Madam Malkin's on dress robes.

"It's okay, I don't mind," Blaise said with an easy shrug, releasing his arm. "I like to shop," the wizard said, falling in step with the Gryffindor as they began to make their way down the crowded street.

Harry's gaze locked onto Quality Quidditch Supplies, green eyes searching the shop's windows as they neared. There had to be something he could get Draco, because he didn't exactly think the gift he had originally planned on giving him was such a great idea anymore, not with—

"What d'you need to get here?"

"Huh?" Harry glanced over at the Slytherin. "Oh, uh. Nothing really, just something I wanted to pick up," he said dismissively, missing the knowing smirk on the Slytherin's lips as he ducked into the shop.

Harry weaved through the busy aisles, continuing until he reached the back and a large display behind an enchanted glass case that was built into the wall. Green eyes focused on the objects behind it, a set, newly released that day according to the flashing green and red words above. There were a pair of the latest seeker gloves, that offered perfect grip in any weather but felt like a second skin, so soft they were imperceptible to the touch, a training snitch with improved abilities that could learn your moves and anticipate them to force your game to improve if you ever wanted to catch it again and flying goggles with improved rain and frost charms—

"Well if it isn't Harry Potter. Out amongst the common folk."

Harry stiffened at the sarcastic words, and he turned slowly from the glass case to meet hardened brown eyes. "Ron," he said, his tone flat, greeting the corduroy and sweater-clad wizard.

"Harry, how's your break been so far? You didn't sit with us on the train," Hermione said softly with a strained smile as she walked up before shooting Ron a scowl, the wizard clenching his jaw and looking away sharply in response.

"Or come to my house," the ginger wizard muttered under his breath, shoving his hands into his pockets as he glared at the seeker ensemble as if it were the reason for his dark mood.

" _Ron_ ," Hermione hissed, elbowing the wizard, "you _promised_."

Ron groaned, a hand shooting up to rub at his side angrily. "What? It's true. He _didn't_." He turned to Harry then, his expression growing suddenly suspicious, Hermione grimacing slightly behind his back and mouthing a pained 'sorry' to Harry. "Where's Malfoy?"

"Not here," he retorted, feeling surprisingly agitated at the question. He clenched his jaw and then pushed past Ron, bumping his shoulder with his own roughly, green eyes trained on the front door. "We're not joined at the hip." He needed to grab a drink and then find the wizard. They needed to talk. Where had he gone to anyway?

"You could've fooled me," was said before the wizard could take more than a handful of steps.

Harry stopped at the scathing words. He turned around slowly to face his supposed friend, and he felt the tension in his chest begin to morph into something else. He took a step towards Ron. "Do you have a problem with us?"

" _Harry_."

"Us?!" Ron spluttered, his face blooming an angry flush. " _Us_?!"

"Ronald!"

"Yeah, that's what I said." Harry took a measured step forward. "So do you, _Ronald_?"

Ron took a matching step forward, nodding adamantly, his jaw clenched. "Too right, I do. What happened to staying away from him? I thought that's what you decided and then suddenly you're sitting with him everyday, making eyes at each other and _then_ you skip out on me and Hermione for Christmas at the last minute! You know I had to tell my mum that you'd rather spend your Christmas with the Malfoys when I got there!"

"Ron..."

"No, no, we're going to talk about this," the wizard said to the flustered witch before turning back. "Harry," he said, lowering his voice, and then let out a weighted breath, stepping closer to make their conversation more private when fellow schoolmates began to glance over to the back corner. "I've tried to be understanding, I have, but you can't be considering this, not _seriously_ ," he started, his tone less harsh but just as determined. "If it was just Malfoy, like we used to know, maybe, _maybe_ I'd understand, I mean I always kinda suspected something was off between you two," he said quietly, ignoring Harry's darkening expression as he continued, "But he's _not_. You know what he is now, what he could do to you, hell, he might be _manipulating_ you..."

Harry bulked. "Manipulating me?" He ignored Hermione, who was shooting him a pleading look to drop the conversation. "He wouldn't do that, and he's _not_. I know he's not."

Ron laughed, the sound cutting off harshly. "Sorry if I don't trust the judgement of someone who _fancies_ Malfoy."

" _Ron_..."

Harry's hands balled into fists by his side at the mocking words, the muscles in his neck and shoulders tightening. "I don't just _fancy_ him."

Ron's eyebrows drew together at that - and then they shot up, his mouth dropping open. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying-"

"Harry, can't we just-"

"-that you need to get used to this, because I'm not going to stop seeing him _anytime_ soon." Harry glared darkly at his best friend and added, "If ever."

Hermione grew suddenly quiet, and Ron's face began to slowly deepen to an even darker shade of red. Blaise looked to be holding back a grin as he glanced between the three friends.

"What... What do you _mean_? Like-like you're in - in _love_ or something?" Ron asked, looking thoroughly scandalized, his voice rising in volume and pitch, "You're in _love with Draco Malfoy_?"

A collective gasp sounded behind Harry, making the wizard only just then realize the crowd they had gathered. He held back a string of expletives. "No. I mean, I think I... I'm not. I'm not - exactly sure... I..."

* * *

Harry lay in the bed in the guest room at Malfoy Manor, curtains pulled and a darkening charm cast on the drapes still relatively early on Christmas Eve. He wasn't hiding from Draco. Even if he had exploded at the blond when he had gotten back after the wizard had simply asked where he had gone.

He just wasn't in the holiday spirit.

He sighed, thinking back to the Quidditch shop and Ron. The wizard had looked like he was going to combust after he had inadvertently admitted to him what he hadn't even admitted to himself yet. He covered his face, rubbing roughly. How had that happened? He knew he was attracted to him, liked him a lot even, but he hadn't thought it much past that, ignoring the growing comfort around the blond and the intense feelings he drew from him like no one had ever done before, or the warmth that flared to life in his chest, making everything seem just perfect when they were together. And that was probably because it was all too soon, and more importantly - the Slytherin didn't reciprocate his feelings, not to that extent. At least he didn't think so...

Draco had admittedly been rather complimentary lately, and he had made it very clear that he found Harry attractive and... a lot of things really. But he hadn't shown any interest in him beyond taunting him until he had become a vampire. He said he was his intended mate. Maybe he just couldn't help liking certain things about him, whether he wanted to or—

"Harry?" a familiar voice sounded just outside closed curtains, cutting into his thoughts.

Harry didn't respond.

"Harry, can I talk to you?" There was a pause. "Blaise told me about earlier."

Harry sighed and reached out, pulling back the curtain without sitting up or looking away from the blank ceiling overhead. "Come in," he said begrudgingly.

The bed shifted, Draco climbing over him to lay down on his other side. He settled on his back. "Bad outing?"

Harry closed his eyes. "You could say that." The bed shifted again and dipped beside him, and then he felt the blond's side resting just barely against his. "How was yours?"

Draco let out a slow breath. "I've had better." The blond tugged at the tie around his neck, loosening it, not wanting to think of his shopping trip with his mother at that moment, because she had been more upbeat than he'd seen her in a long time, and it wasn't hard to guess as to why with how much she had brought up a certain dark-haired Gryffindor, particularly focusing on his tastes and likes. She was clearly already planning his and Harry's master ensuite that would need to be added to Malfoy Manor once they'd wed. "Not up for the night's festivities?"

Harry looked over, watching as the lean wizard undid the top few buttons of his shirt with nimble fingers, and then rested his hand on a softly rising chest and turned quiet grey eyes on him. "It depends on what they entail," Harry answered honestly.

Red lips curled up faintly on one side. "Ah, well to start, a huge dinner of course, which I can't eat any of. Spending time with Pansy and Blaise - a thoroughly pissed up Pansy and Blaise," the vampire amended after remembering the state he had left his two friends in to check on Harry, and then lips turned up slightly more before adding, "And a surprise for you."

Harry blinked. "A surprise? From who?"

Draco huffed a laugh, amused. "Who do you think Harry?"

Harry turned green eyes on the blond. "What kind of... surprise?" he asked hesitantly, remembering his unsuccessful shopping trip and then the box still in his trunk.

"One on which I'm not giving any hints," Draco said matter-of-factly, earning him a half smile and an eye roll before a frown overtook the Gryffindor's expression once more. "Did Weasley upset you so much?" he asked curiously. Blaise had told him what'd been said when he had 'pressed' for details after their return to the Manor, but he couldn't help but feel the wizard hadn't told him everything.

Harry rolled onto his side, pushing the hood to the dark grey sweatshirt he was wearing behind him and resting on the silk-encased pillow. He eyed him with an unsure look. "Are you asking me if I want to talk about it?"

Draco met his gaze. "If you'd like."

Harry lay quietly, the feeling in his chest he had started to associate with the blond making itself known. He cleared his throat, wishing he could somehow do the same to the unwanted feeling. "It wasn't anything new, Ron was just being an ass about us."

Draco pressed lips carefully between sharp teeth and nodded thoughtfully, feeling admittedly very pleased with the wizard's phrasing of them together. "You sure he's not got a thing for you?"

Harry let out a laugh. "Yeah, pretty sure," he said with a small grin. He shifted closer to the wizard lying on his back, and Draco lifted his hand from his chest and pulled Harry even closer to his surprise until his head was resting on his shoulder, and his arm wrapped around him comfortably. Harry let out a slow breath, regrouping his thoughts. "Ron's just never done well with change," he said begrudgingly, not feeling overly charitable towards his friend at that moment, "or you, at all, for that matter... So it's a lot, I guess."

Draco hummed. "I can see that." He began to run the back of his hand along the wizard's arm, breathing in his scent and trying to relax as venom coated his teeth unbidden.

Harry studied the loosened green tie and partially unbuttoned shirt. "And he has this ridiculous idea that we're going to, I don't know, shack up and have a lot of snooty children or something I think." He laughed, shaking his head. "Insane, right?"

Draco grinned, wryly. "Yeah," he agreed, his hand moving to trail along the wizard's side at an idle pace, "Insane." And then he paused. "Are you saying I'm snooty?" Harry's chest shook against his side.

"Very."

Draco lifted platinum brows, not contesting. "I'm not sure how the children part would work," he said, and then his hand slid up under the wizard's sweatshirt, finding something better to touch. "You've not got any of the right bits," he said, his voice suddenly more quiet, the appreciation clear in his words.

Harry laughed roughly as smooth cold fingers trailed along his bare side. "What makes you think I'd be the witch?"

Draco grinned. "Easy. You're the softy," he said and then pressed his lips to Harry's when he looked up at him in surprise.

Harry met his lips again, the kiss slower, lingering. "You think I'm a softy?" he asked quietly.

Draco nodded and met the tempting mouth again, his lips not parting as he enjoyed the simple feel of just pressing them against the wizard's soft ones. "I know you are," he murmured, "it's one of the things I've always liked about you." He met his lips again, focusing on the lower one mostly, it was his favorite.

Green eyes opened, Harry pulling back slightly. "Always?"

Draco nodded, his hand settling on the wizard's bare side and his thumb hooking under his slacks. "Yes, always."

Harry blinked a few times, something in his expression shifting. "What else?" Grey eyes narrowed. "I mean... what else, have you always liked about me?"

Draco's tongue snuck out and moistened his lips as he thought, and he suddenly had to hold back a knowing smile. "You tell me first," he said, his tone soft but challenging.

Harry opened his mouth to protest, but blond eyebrows raised obstinately, and he let out a resigned breath. "Your hair," he said in a defeated tone.

Draco let out a whisper of a laugh, enjoying the compliment despite its lackluster delivery. "Your smile," he offered readily in exchange.

Harry's expression shifted again at that, surprise taking over before he furrowed pitch-dark eyebrows and said somewhat hesitantly, "Your voice," he paused, "starting third year."

Draco smirked and tugged the wizard closer as he shifted onto his side, their lower bodies brushing. "Your body, same time. You've got a _very_ nice body, Harry."

"Yeah?" Harry asked, eyelids dipping to partially conceal green eyes.

Draco nodded slightly. "Yeah." He smiled, the tips of white teeth just showing.

Harry licked his lips. "Your walk," he said.

Draco laughed at that. "Really?" And Harry nodded with a shrug. The blond pulled him close again, pressing his body against his and reveling in the touch, his smile softening and breath catching as a quiet groan fell from Harry's lips. "You," he said simply, honestly, "You're a good person, Harry."

The feeling in Harry's chest welled at that. "So are you," he said, quietly, and the wizard's hand tightened on his side, his expression looking suddenly and uncharacteristically unsure at his words. Harry nodded adamantly. "I mean it. I might not have known it all along - but you are."

Draco swallowed hard, not even noticing the sting of the venom for once as he looked into vivid green eyes. "Thank you Harry, that means a lot to me."


	20. Chapter 20

Harry stood in front of his trunk as he smoothed down the mock neck sweater he had just pulled on, hands skating idly over black wool, his mind wandering. Draco had left only minutes before, saying he needed to change for the evening and kissing him, the sentiment behind it almost hesitant if not for insistent hands which'd conveyed an urgency that Harry had found himself responding to.

Fingers tugged at wild black locks as the wizard's unsure gaze slid down to land on the small box setting atop the book Hermione had given him for Christmas, its subject not unsuspiciously vampire mating myths and facts. The author, Isabella Greenwich, she'd told Harry in her note, was a witch who was incidentally mated to one.

He hadn't read any of it yet.

The wizard let out a slow breath as he leaned over and picked up the present, stuffing it in his front slacks pocket, and then the text, flipping open to the first page as he righted himself before making his way distractedly back over to his bed, green eyes scanning the title to the first chapter.

 _So You're a Vampire's Intended: What you want to know, what you should know, and what you_ need _to know._

* * *

"Draco dear, I've been looking for you."

Draco rolled his eyes, running a hand through damp blond locks, as he was joined in his private bathroom, the tall wizard wearing a pair of black slacks and a dark green button up for the evening. "You sound nothing like my mother, Pansy."

The witch laughed and pushed herself up to sit on the edge of the blond's counter. "I'll get it some day. I just can't seem to hold that tone of undying affection quite right without softening the 'a.'" Pansy crossed her ankles, swinging her legs and cocking her head to the side, long black curls falling over her shoulder as she eyed her friend. "Your mother is a talented witch."

"Indeed." Draco leaned forward when he noticed grey eyes looking suspiciously dark, peering more closely into the mirror at his face, and he held back a frown. Was he more pale?

"Your skin looks absolutely stunning today."

Draco's eyes narrowed minutely. It wasn't time to drink again. He had just—He froze as realization hit him, the mediwitch's warning words of keeping to a strict schedule ringing in his head, ones that his mind had conveniently blocked out until now, and he cursed mentally as he dropped his chin towards his chest, resting tense palms on white marble—bitten Harry.

He swallowed back a surge of venom when soft skin and hot red liquid flooded his mind unhelpfully, and his mouth felt suddenly and unbearably dry. He had only gone a few days when the wizard had let him bite him. And now he was already feeling its effects, at only a day's time. However, it hadn't affected him that way before, and he hadn't taken more either. Then again... maybe it had nothing to do with his sampling Harry's blood, because there _was_ another explanation, one that would explain everything perfectly, and one that maybe was not as inevitable as everyone thought.

Draco had gone to Tomes and Scrolls in Hogsmeade on a solo outing that morning before meeting up with his mother, trying to clear his mind a little as well as to pick up a few obscure texts he'd ordered on vampires. The shopkeeper had given him an extra book at no extra fee, saying the author was actually a distant family member and a squib who had published it the muggle route as 'science fiction,' and so he had a few behind the counter not for resale. Draco had glanced through it and found a chapter that none of the others had included.

_It has been widely accepted that a vampire who doesn't mate with his/her intended after finding them for whatever reason leaves themselves at risk to becoming overcome by more basal vampiric instincts and therefore is a danger to those around, it being theorized to be akin to a vampire not feeding and losing control. Fighting a mating is discouraged for this reason by outsiders of the community, and because bonding is believed to be a necessity for overall quality of life of a vampire it is encouraged without reservation by most within as well._

_However, there is also the wholly unexplored situation of when two vampires share an intended mate. Which has been rumored to happen frequently in certain less known specialized vampiric lines, specifically the life magic and soul leeching lines, believed amongst themselves as a way to ensure only the very strongest of their kind survive, a natural selection of sorts. It could therefore be theorized that if one of the two_ could _simply hold out long enough without being killed by the other, the urge might diminish over time, seeing as how it lacks the exclusivity of other bonds. However, it has not been...-_

He'd concluded it was possible the vampire in the woods who had bitten him had been trying to mate with Harry initially, which meant there might be a chance he _could_ fight it successfully while still being with him. He had held out this long.

Although, he wasn't about to let the other vampire have him either if that was the case. Fingertips clenched at the thought, making powdered white dust as they dug grooves into the marble countertop. He needed to find out who he was and get rid of him somehow-

"Draco?"

Draco closed his eyes, fighting the murderous feelings coursing through him even as venom refused to stem. He shouldn't be around Harry at all like this, not with his urge to mate with the wizard gaining strength so rapidly and unpredictably. Blood might help but he couldn't get more from the appropriate sources without revealing that he had fed inappropriately, or worse, that he was struggling to maintain control because he'd found his intended and was fighting the bonding process. He let out a sharp laugh at the thought of anyone finding out Harry Potter was a vampire's intended mate, let alone his.

The door opened behind him.

Draco ignored the sound as he scrambled as to what he should do at that very moment, coming up infuriatingly empty, because he was to meet with Harry within the hour and wasn't doing so well. Avoiding the Gryffindor wizard was not an option with him so close, and he wasn't going to send him away. Pale fingers dug deeper, and he held in a growl threatening to shake his chest as he felt his gaze darken treacherously, joining his rebelling body at the mere entertainment of the wizard's absence. Harry wasn't going anywhere—

"Draco... are you _feeling all right_?"

Shadowed grey eyes flicked up sharply at the loudly spoken words, his gaze pitch-dark as he stared at Blaise behind him through the large mirror, the wizard having joined him and Pansy, both friends studying him in a careful fashion that agitated the blond further. "Of course I'm all right," he snapped, muscles tensing further despite his attempts to relax, and he kept agitated hands splayed on the marred countertop.

Blaise nodded slowly, shifting somewhat in front of Pansy as he continued to watch Draco coolly. "Hey Pans, give us a minute, would you?"

Draco watched the witch slide off the counter with narrowed eyes, and then she slipped past him quickly without a word, the door clicking softly behind her, and he felt his hands ball into fists. Where was she going to so quickly, if she-

"I just saw Harry."

The blond's head snapped back to find Blaise leaning against his counter, looking relaxed despite his wand being out, the wizard rolling it between thumb and index by his side like he did when bored.

"Did you?" he asked slowly, and he breathed in more deeply, and he could smell the wizard on his friend. He felt his lips pull back, and he took a step forward, Blaise's hand stilling around his wand in response, and he stopped.

"Does that bother you, Draco?" Blaise asked, tone curious, as he remained leaned back, posture still lax. "You know we spent most of the day together... or did you forget that?"

And Draco felt an emotion, something akin to jealousy but much colder seeping into his veins, infiltrating his muscles, and then it began to creep into his mind, darkening his thoughts to match his eyes. "I'm not in any mood for your games, Blaise," he said point blank, holding back the malice he felt towards his best friend but just barely.

Blaise shrugged. "What if I'm not playing though? What if I actually like Harr-"

And Draco's right hand was pressed against the wizard's chest as he held him pinned to the glass wall of his shower several feet from where they had just been standing, sharp breaths the only thing jarring the sudden silence and an erratic pulse pounded up against the palm of his pale hand. He glared into wide eyes only inches from his own. "Harry is _mine_ ," he growled, sharp canines exposed, and he leaned in closer, bringing lethal teeth with him. " _Do you understand_? _Mine._ "

"Draco," Blaise said quietly, his words tense, "You need to _calm_ down."

Draco leaned in closer. "I don't think I do." A loud jumping whoosh met his ears, and he breathed in slowly, his senses flooding with the savory scent of something that he needed. "You smell good, Blaise." Venom coated his teeth.

" _Draco_ ," the wizard choked out, hands coming up to shove uselessly at the blond's chest as sharp teeth inched closer, and his breathing grew louder. "I - I don't want Harry - I swear, I swear I don't!"

Draco blinked. And his friend let out a startled noise of relief and slid down the glass, landing on the floor with a thump, his breaths loud and uneven.

" _Holy shit_. Shit. Shit. _Shit_."

The blond took a step back as his mind began to clear, a sinking feeling making his own breath pick up as his friend pushed himself up slowly looking visibly shaken. "Do you have some sort of death wish, Blaise?" he asked in a barely contained voice, and he took another step back, not trusting his instincts when he felt the urge to move towards the gasping wizard again.

Blaise took in a few more labored breaths before lifting his wand he hadn't bothered to use on Draco to wave at his own chest. He closed his eyes for a long moment, and then he let out a slow breath. "No. I've just been trying to watch out for you, see how you're doing. And Draco," he paused to touch the area where Draco's hand had been resting, grimacing when it was still sensitive, "you're really starting to lose it. You need to have a serious talk with Harry about the mating. And _soon_ before something bad happens."

Draco let out a silent measured breath, willing his muscles to relax but to little avail. He inclined his chin, gaze dropping to watch on as fingers smoothed his dark grey tie of non-existent wrinkles. "No. I'm fine," he said - because he would be. He just needed to be more careful. "I'm just feeling a bit parched. I'll feel better in a few days."

"But Draco, if you'd tell Harry how you're feeling, I think he'd-"

"I'm _fine_ Blaise," he said more sharply, and he looked up to see his friend take a step back. He closed his eyes, trying to reel in his emotions. "I promise. I'll be fine."

* * *

"Really?"

"Yeah. I thought Draco was going to be sick."

"I thought he was going to hex her."

"I considered both." Laughter followed the dry statement.

Harry sat comfortably on an oversized black sofa beside Draco, Pansy and Blaise on the floor sharing a bottle of Christmas spiced wine as they regaled the Gryffindor with the numerous stories of Astoria Greengrass' failed attempts at wooing the Malfoy heir over the years.

They'd just had an impressive dinner in the formal dining room, accompanied by Christmas music played with only string instruments and enchanted snow falling from the ceiling that melted without a trace of residue when it landed. The atmosphere between the three Slytherins had been oddly tense at first, but had mellowed as the dinner had progressed, and they'd then moved to Draco's favorite study in good spirits.

The four wizards sat in the room, the only light coming from the towering tree in the corner glimmering a soft white and the fireplace behind Blaise and Pansy, alternating flickering charmed green and red flames. The elves had charmed the two outside walls and ceiling of the room invisible so they could enjoy the sight of collecting snow on the grounds around them.

"So tell me Harry," Pansy drawled, smoothing the silver cashmere blanket covering her legs, her eyes dancing with mischief, "what was it really like being the 'Chosen One?'"

Harry blinked, glanced over at Draco, whose mouth was tugging in a suspiciously upward postion, and he said, "Honestly?"

Pansy and Blaise nodded eagerly in unison.

Harry grinned, his chin dipping slightly. "Terrifying. _Absolutely_ terrifying."

The two Slytherins on the floor laughed at that, and Harry felt Draco shift slightly closer, leaving less than a foot between them. He had noticed that the blond was not one for public displays of affection, and green eyes widened slightly in surprise when fingertips brushed across the nape of his neck in a passing touch, sending a shiver down his spine. He shot a glance over to see Draco's arm thrown over the back of the couch in a seemingly nonchalant fashion, and then his gaze drifted down to his dark green shirt stretched across his tone chest and pulling tight along his stomach accenting his slim waist, and the blond's lips pulled up on the right side.

"See something you like, Harry?"

Harry grinned at the whispered words, running a hand up to scrub at wild black locks as he shifted his hips forward and leaned further back into the couch, and he felt fingertips dip inside his collar. "Maybe," he said, his breath coming a little heavier as cool fingers trailed softly along the nape of his skin. He resisted the urge to shift closer as darker than usual grey eyes locked with his gaze.

"I've got my present for you, it's outside though," Draco said in a private voice. "Do you want to see it later?"

Harry nodded and then black eyebrows shot up. "Oh." He dug into his left slacks pocket, lifting hips so he could pull out the forgotten present he had stowed there. He offered it to the blond beside him. "Here. It's not much, but I thought you might like it."

Draco took the offered gift that was the size of his palm, eyes studying the heavy red parchment wrapping, the edges not crisp and folded lines not straight. The corner of his mouth pulled up on one side. "Did you wrap this yourself by chance?"

Harry grinned by his side, nudging his leg with his knee. "Don't be a snob, just open it."

Draco huffed a whisper of a laugh as he complied, pulling off the wrapping to reveal a plain cedar box. He lifted the lid to find a pile of cards, the top one of Dumbledore looking up at him with a mischievous smile, and blond eyebrows lifted curiously. "You bought me... a deck of chocolate frog cards?"

Harry spoke up quickly. "Well, not exactly, I know how you used to collect them. And it's the whole collection, all of them are originals too."

Blond eyebrows lifted higher, and Draco pulled out the deck and began to flip through them in surprise. "The _whole_ collection?" he asked and then laughed when he found one of Ptolemy, the style different from the newer production ones. He had bought box after box trying to find the blasted card until he was sure it had to be out of circulation, only to be disappointed when he had finally found one but its style different from the original released line. "How'd you manage to find all of these?"

"I didn't... I mean, I had some, but the older ones, they uh, they were my dad's."

Fingers stilled. And Draco looked over at an unsure Harry, and he shifted his entire body closer, until his arm and thigh was just pressing against the Gryffindor's as Blaise and Pansy began to discuss their favorite drinks. "These were your father's?" he asked in a more private tone.

"Yeah, I found them last year when I was going through my vault," Harry said, a twinge of sadness seeping into his chest, and he let out a slow breath. He had gone to Gringott's only weeks after the end of the war, needing the connection to his parents after knowingly separating himself from them permanently with his decision.

Draco studied the wizard carefully. "Harry... are you sure you don't want to keep these for yourself?"

Harry shook his head, the movement subtle. "No, I don't even collect them."

Draco watched as vivid green eyes shifted up, and they locked with his gaze. "Are you sure?" he asked again, his voice soft as he found himself almost whispering.

"Yeah, I want you to have them. I mean... if you like them," he said hesitantly, matching his tone but for a slight roughness.

Draco's lips curled up. "Harry," he said even softer, "I love them," and then his lips were pressing against the wizard's and a hand was on the back of his neck, pulling his mouth closer as lips parted under his, and his tongue slid out and into the wizard's mouth, his fingers sliding up along soft material to find deliciously heated skin, and the vampire felt a familiar jolt as a warmth bloomed inside him, and Harry groaned—

"Holy shit, that is _hot_."

Grey eyes opened, and Draco pulled back in surprise, the wizard before him looking as shocked as he felt.

"Yeah it is. No need to stop on our account, Dray," Pansy called out.

Draco's gaze shifted accusingly to the two Slytherins on the floor, and Harry broke into easy laughter by his side. His friends were grinning at him madly, both looking at him as if he had just told them he was switching to Gryffindor, and he shook his head, fighting the grin trying to out him for someone with a healthy sense of humor.

"You two are the _worst_ ," he said and rested back against the couch and began to flip through the cards once more with interest - his leg and arm resting just shy of matching warm body parts - leaning over to point out to the wizard beside him each rare card he found.

* * *

Draco sat an hour later with his arm on the back of the sofa once more, its position just an inch short of resting around Harry's shoulders as they sat in almost complete darkness, the fire just glowing festive embers and the tree's lights having softened defiantly to resemble twinkling stars under the stingy heavy blanket of clouds, snow still falling softly but steadily around them, having accumulated on the grounds already a few inches since they had first arrived. His two friends were sleeping soundly on the floor, Pansy using Blaise's arm as a pillow and sharing her blanket with him in return. And Draco was looking into amused green eyes as the wizard spoke quietly.

"Yeah, it was really quite painful actually, I wouldn't recommend it," Harry said, as he finished admitting to accidentally swallowing/inhaling the snitch his first game.

"I knew it." Draco smirked as he tilted his chin down and began to breathe in the wizard's scent along his neck, the bouquet intoxicating. "Blaise will be _so_ disappointed."

Harry laughed roughly as cool air puffed just under his chin, his blood rushing through his veins uselessly as the blond refused to touch him for some reason. "You could not tell him," he said, arching his neck to the side in offering and a sharp puff of amused air brushed his ear, lips having moved away.

"Not hardly, Harry," Draco said smoothly, his free hand reaching out and hovering just over the wizard's thigh before settling on the sofa beside it instead. He heard a small noise of frustration stifled, and he pulled back to look into green eyes half hidden by heavy eyelids. "Something bothering you?"

Harry licked his lips. He couldn't tell if the wizard was messing with him or was just that uncomfortable touching with his friends in the room. He studied calm grey eyes and then said with a shrug, "No, just a little tired."

Draco held back a smirk. "Are you?"

Harry cleared his throat, and he nodded. "Yeah, I think I'm ready to call it a night actually."


	21. Chapter 21

Draco stood up, smoothed down his shirt, and then he offered a hand out to a still sitting Harry, who grinned wryly up at him but placed his own over top it after only a second's hesitation. "All right, but first," he said, pulling him up and against his chest, green eyes growing more amused, "do you want to see your gift?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah okay." He glanced over a soundly sleeping Pansy and Blaise and to the edge of the room, searching the darkened grounds beyond curiously. "You said it's outside?"

Draco nodded. "It is." And he tugged the wizard along, his fingers still intertwined with Harry's, the touch calming the blond's nerves as he felt the door swing open at his approach, and cool air began to seep into the room. He glanced over his shoulder. "Will you be warm enough?"

Harry looked down at his sweater and then back to the blond, growing increasingly curious as the wizard stalled. "Yeah, should be."

Draco nodded at that and then made his way out the invisible door and onto virgin snow with Harry by his side, the only sound frozen white powder crunching under their feet. He stopped a few yards out and looked up at the sky, his breaths not showing beside Harry's warm clouds of exhalations. "The charm doesn't do it justice," he said quietly, "no matter what the elves do. It just looks clearer out here."

Harry nodded silently, and he glanced over to the wizard, his platinum silky locks hanging back from his face as grey eyes studied the night sky with an intensity that Harry had come to realize Draco faced all aspects of his life with. He smiled as he looked back up at the sky. "Yeah. Is this my present, looking up at the starless sky with you?"

Grey eyes shifted over and down to eye Harry, the wizard's chin only dipping slightly as red lips curled up on one side. "It's not starless, it's cloudy. And what if it was? Would you be disappointed?"

Harry huffed a laugh as he cracked a grin. "No," he said, "but I'd probably be really confused."

Draco let out a laugh at that. He rolled his eyes. "You're too honest." He glanced around them, and then he took Harry's hand in his again and began to lead him further out towards a line of trees, Harry walking beside him quietly, looking around.

"So what is this gift?" Harry asked as they continued along, the wizard eyeing the snow and trees around them with increasingly furrowed brows.

Draco held back a grin. "You'll see," he said and then stopped abruptly by a mostly snow-hidden boulder that stood at almost half his height, releasing Harry's hand to pull his wand from his left sleeve. He held it out and then began to wave it in an intricate pattern and when he finished a large black wooden door with a highly polished, silver handle began to appear before them out of thin air.

The blond took a step back and looked to Harry expectantly.

Harry moved forward tentatively, placing his hand on the knob, and he glanced once more at Draco before turning it and pushing the door open slowly. He peered in to find a dome shaped, stand alone room a little smaller than the size of Draco's bedroom in the manor. The walls a smooth soft grey, windowless, and it appeared to be completely empty.

He moved in and stopped in the center of the room, looking around curiously. "What is this?"

Draco closed the door, it shutting with a soft click, and Harry looked around for any sign of light, and the walls began to glow softly around them, casting a warm light on the two wizards as Draco approached Harry slowly.

The blond stopped just in front of him, closed his eyes and breathed in slowly, Harry watching him in growing confusion, and then the floor beneath him shifted. The wizard looked down to find honey wooden planks for flooring where there had only been dirt, and then a deep red and overstuffed couch appeared to his right, a stone fireplace forming on the grey wall only feet in front of it with pieces of wood already in it, flames licking to life instantly. Harry turned and found another door materialize and then a hand was on his sleeve, and he found himself looking into grey eyes as Draco guided him towards the couch and away from the center of the room.

"Is this-"

"Hold on," Draco said, and Harry watched the tall blond close his eyes once more, and then a tree with long, soft bluish-green needles was standing, planted in the center of the room, its tip just brushing the ceiling and warm lights began to twinkle on its limbs as they made themselves known. Harry's lips began to turn up when crystal ornaments of various shapes began to appear, some clear and some frosted, hanging weightlessly from the limbs and widely spaced. Draco cleared his throat, the sound almost frustrated, and then _very_ slowly softly hued ornaments of widely varying colors and materials began to appear in the empty spaces.

Harry let out a whisper of a laugh as he walked over to get a closer look, disbelieving his eyes. The dark-haired wizard reached out, carefully cupping his hand around the back of a small red, brown and white reindeer ornament that looked to have been stuffed and sewn by hand years ago, the stitching uneven and colors faded. He ran his thumb over the reindeer as the fire crackled softly behind him, and he breathed in the scent of needles and sap, his smile growing along with a warmth in his chest.

The wizard looked over the rest of the tree, his gaze flicking between the two starkly different kinds of ornaments that complimented each other perfectly in his opinion, eyes settling on a clear globe with shreds of glass piled in its center, the tree lights reflecting through it, making it look like it was glowing. "How'd you do this?" he asked quietly.

"I found a simpler variation of the charm-work for the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts, and I altered it a bit, the original didn't conjure items as accurately."

Harry nodded as he studied a wooden snitch ornament that was painted red with tiny golden trees stamped all over it, looking like something he would've actually made himself, and then green eyes shifted over to where the tall blond was standing, hands shoved deep in his slacks pockets, angular shoulders pulled up, stretching the material of his crisp dark green shirt smooth around his waist, facial expression neutral but grey eyes active.

"It's a tradition in my family," Draco said when Harry just stared at him, and he rocked up onto the balls of his feet and then back down to his heels. "Well was - my father... he used to give my mum something every year with a spell he'd specialized for her."

Harry nodded again, more slowly, watching the wizard push up onto his toes again as he realized Draco had just compared them to his parents. And his chest began to grow uncomfortably but not unpleasantly tight as he struggled to respond.

"Shit Harry, do you like it or what?"

Green eyes widened, and Harry shook his head to clear his muddled thoughts, realizing just then that the wizard was fidgeting. "Oh— _Yes._ Yes of course I do," he said quickly, and when platinum brows lifted, and red lips pressed together in a tight line he let out a laugh. "I _do, really_ , it's great, thank you, I was just surprised is all."

Draco stopped shifting at that. "How so?"

Harry froze. Shit. "Ah. Well-" He glanced over to the tree again, searching it, and said, "That you could picture homemade ornaments so well." He looked back to Draco.

Draco blinked. "You bloody hate it."

Harry let out another laugh as he shook his head. "No. That's not true. I swear." He made his way over to the blond, stopping just in front of him, and he grinned at him, the expression apologetic but genuine. "It's the best present you could've gotten me."

Draco eyed him shrewdly. "The best..." he parroted his words, disbelief dripping from his words.

Harry's grin grew impossibly wider. "Yeah, I'd say so, I'm not into purchased presents."

Draco nodded slowly, his expression slowly softening, and he reached out, clasping some of the wizard's heavy sweater between his thumb and index and gently tugged him nearer, wrapping his other hand around his waist as he looked down at him. "You're terrible at receiving gifts."

Harry laughed. "Yeah, sorry," he said sheepishly, and then cool fingers were on his neck, and he felt a familiar surge jump from him and into Draco's hand for the second time that night, and his eyelids dipped in relaxation.

"It's okay," was said quietly and then in a more amused tone, "So the ornaments look good then?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. Very authentic," he said, matching his tone.

"They should," Draco said curtly, drawing Harry's full attention at the sudden seriousness. The blond sniffed. "Because I nicked them from a family down the street."

Harry huffed a laugh at that. "Tell me you're joking," he said as a thumb began to slide up and down over his neck, warming the area, and he shifted feet closer.

Draco blinked down at him. "I'm joking Harry." He dead-panned.

Harry laughed again, and Draco tilted his chin down, bringing upturning red lips closer, making the wizard's pulse speed up. "Thank you, Draco," he said, his voice roughened as the thumb began to slow on his neck.

Draco nodded slightly, and he found himself leaning in. "Do you want to stay in here tonight?" he said in almost a whisper against parted lips, fighting the urge to move coated teeth down to inviting skin below.

Harry felt the air leave his chest in a whoosh as his body pressed against Draco's, the simple offer filled with something that made his heart begin to dance around in his chest. "Yeah, I'd like that."

And then lips were on his as a bed appeared behind them. 

* * *

"Fuck," Harry cursed as Draco pressed kisses down his bare stomach at a leisurely pace, his fingers laced in silky blond locks as he stared up at the dome grey ceiling, like-colored sheer curtains pulled around them. A breath escaped his lips sharply when teeth nipped at the skin just above his hip, and he began to push down gently on the wizard's head, and lips began to move back up in response. "Oh, fuck me," he groaned.

The blond pressed a kiss just below the wizard's ear and murmured against sensitive skin, "If that's what you really want, Harry."

Harry gasped a laugh even as his heart skipped a few beats at the words, and a tongue began to slide along the shell of his ear, and green eyes fell shut when lips began to nibble at his jaw line, the action feeling far better than he thought it should, and he grabbed onto pajama-covered hips. And then Draco's legs shifted apart more in response, and hips lowered along with other body parts, and Harry rolled his own up to close the gap and then groaned, the sound echoed from deep red lips above him.

"Harry, Harry, you feel _so_  amazing," Draco murmured, holding his body still, hands planted on either side of the wizard's shoulders. He dipped down and met parted lips with a gentle kiss. "What do you want to do?" he whispered.

Harry's mind hummed indecisively as lips began to press against his in small kisses, and he stilled completely as he tried to think clearly. "We could try something new," he hedged, and he soon found himself looking directly into intense grey eyes. "If you want," he added.

Draco smiled slowly and then lowered down to whisper against his lips, "I do want." His smile growing to reveal perfectly white teeth when Harry laughed, the sound rough but amused, and he kissed the wizard's lower lip gently. "You make me happy, Harry," he said in a deep silky voice.

Harry's eyes widened slightly as the blond continued to pepper his lips with soft caresses. "Yeah?" And the vampire nodded, amusement obvious in grey eyes. He blinked a few times rapidly, his chest filling with a tingling, warm feeling that refused to dissipate only growing, and he swallowed hard before he heard himself say: "I think I might love you."

And then he wanted to grab the not-three-but-equally-bad-six words from the air and shove them back down, because Draco was no longer amused. He looked startled and possibly upset, and he had pushed himself up and away a few extra inches. "I mean-"

Grey eyes blinked. "You might...?"

Harry's tongue wet suddenly dry lips, eyes falling shut and not opening back, refusing to meet the hovering wizard's directly above them. He had already told Ron and Hermione, and Blaise uninentionally, and surely most of their classmates knew by now too; he had shouted it.

He forced his gaze to meet Draco's again, not able to read his response still, the wizard's expression maddeningly blank, and he found himself nodding almost regretfully as he forced out, "Yeah. I do."

Draco blinked again, a heat flooding his chest and very core that had nothing to do with his vampiric leeching abilities but still everything to do with the wizard beneath him. "I love you too Harry."

Harry froze. He had to have misheard. "You do?" he asked, even as his heart began to thump in his chest at the words as if it wanted to try to explode or something else equally ill-advised. And Draco laughed, the sound happy, and then his lips were pressing to his as he nodded in small movements but very adamantly, fingers running up into black hair.

"I do," Draco said, and then tangled fingers pulled the wizard's head to the side gently, eyes sliding over smooth exposed skin that glistened softly over stretched muscles, and he felt venom suddenly coat his teeth, and he held himself back, the action painful. "I _want_ you, Harry, it's killing me to wait."

Harry sucked in a breath, his grip tightening around the blond's hips, because the way Draco was studying his neck made him think _how_ he wanted him might not be so simple. His fingers began to nudge down the blond's pants. "Draco," he said around unsteady breaths, bringing darkened grey eyes back to him a little too slowly, and he lifted his hips and began to push down his own. "Help me with this."

Draco blinked again, his mind redirecting suddenly at the wizard's request, and he nodded, kicking off his own pants that were gathered around his knees before shifting down silky crimson sheets to pull Harry's over his calves and off for him. He left them at the foot of his bed and began to crawl back up until he was level with the dark-haired wizard, and he looked down at him. "You're sure?"

"Yeah," Harry said in a rough voice, and pushed up on one hand to meet hesitant red lips as the other wrapped around the blond's neck, and he pressed his heated upper body against a cool one, needing more. "Very sure," he husked and then he pulled him down with him until his back was once more on warmed sheets, Draco's body over his. "Very sure."


	22. Chapter 22

Pale fingers wrapped themselves steadfastly in crimson sheets as Draco held himself just off of Harry, his lips pressing over and over to the wizard's addictive mouth, heated hands running over his back in a way that could be relaxing if not for the pressure behind splayed fingers that echoed a catching sentiment that had begun to race in his veins and pound in his chest.

Lips parted under his, and Draco opened his own mouth just in time to catch a low moan, breathing it in as he shifted to rest his upper body's weight on his left hand, his right hand no longer helpful as it had begun inching slowly down tone obliques at the encouraging noise. Harry wanted him, he had said, very clearly. A thrill rose in his chest and then raced down his spine and filled his entire body, the words replaying in Harry's voice.

 _Very sure_.

Draco grasped the wizard's hip, and it jerked up in response, Harry gasping into Draco's mouth, stealing some of his air and pressing up against his lower body, and the blond groaned, his body thrumming in an excitement as he slid fingers inward and dipped them down, further, and found—

Harry gasped into the air as Draco pulled back a few inches, fingertips trailing over sensitive skin but not pressing, grey eyes searching. "Harry, have you done any of this before?" he asked quietly.

Green eyes blinked rapidly a few times, focusing as they settled on a silently waiting Draco. "No," he said with a slight head shake, and grey eyes intensified, the expression behind them making Harry's breath catch and heart itch. "Not yet. Have you?"

Draco pressed red lips together tightly when the air in his lungs felt like it was heating up and expanding, wanting to force itself out in an uncouth manner, and he shook his head slowly. "No, I haven't."

Harry nodded jerkily at that, clearing his throat, and then a laugh escaped his lips, the sound breathy. "Good."

Draco's mouth crawled up on one side as he shook his head. "You really are a Gryffindor aren't you?"

Harry laughed again, some of the tension leaving him as his chest expanded with air, forcing the tight muscles surrounding it to stretch. "Yeah, I am," he said easily.

Draco's grin grew as he shifted back and onto his heels, displaying his lean body for the wizard beneath him, and Harry's heart began to speed up again to supply even more blood to a certain needy body member. "What're you doing?" he asked.

The blond's eyes closed for only a second before he reached down into rumpled bed sheets to hold up a tube in answer, Harry swallowing hard as the grey gaze trained on him grew impossibly more intense as the wizard opened the lid, wetting the tips of his index and middle finger thoroughly. "I'm going to touch you Harry."

Blond eyebrows lifted questioningly despite the statement, and Harry nodded jerkily his consent, his lungs suddenly working overtime. "O-okay," he said roughly, and he cleared his throat as Draco leaned back down towards him, his right hand off to the side, and green eyes slowly closed themselves as red lips neared.

"I'll be careful," was whispered against his mouth, and he nodded again before lips pressed tenderly to his, and then slickened fingers dipped down—and his hips jerked up, his groan swallowed by parted red lips, and a tongue caressed his as fingers began to stroke gently, still not pressing. Harry's hands found Draco's neck, pulling his mouth tighter against his as fingers continued to wait and then when he pressed up to meet the wizard's lower body with his own there was pressure.

Draco let his forehead dip lower to rest on Harry's, platinum hair falling down into raven locks, silky mingling with shaggy as he breathed in the wizard's choppy breaths. "You okay?" he asked. Harry nodded, the movement slight under him, and he touched his lips to the wizard's cheek as he pressed his middle digit in deeper, trying not to focus on the tight warmth waiting for him. A grunt escaped his lips. "Fuck Harry," he said, his mind a rushing mess.

Harry huffed a laugh, and it turned into a groan when Draco pressed in further, and he was looking into deep grey eyes that seemed to only want to see him. Draco wet dry lips as he carefully began to nudge in the tip of his index, completely fixated on the wizard below him, grey eyes widening in a fascination as the wizard tipped his head back and to the side, neck arched, stretching lean muscles and displaying itself out as a gift.

The blond swallowed down a surge of stinging venom as he carefully worked in further, trying to focus on the task of gaining the wizard's body, not his soul, but grey eyes found themselves zeroing in on the jumping pulse at the base of Harry's neck, red lips pulling back ever so slightly to reveal aching canines—A hand grabbed onto his outstretched arm that was still planted in the sheets by the wizard's shoulder, fingers wrapping around his left forearm tightly where he had once been branded and unknowingly pulling him back into focus.

" _Draco_."

Draco's eyes shifted back up to the wizard's gaze as he sucked in a silent breath to center himself, and then he carefully spread his fingers apart, the hand tightening even more around his arm as green eyes fell shut and lips parted, letting out a gasping groan that had his mind reeling. "Fuck Harry, is that okay?" he asked, his voice only a shadow of its normal collected smoothness as air forced itself in and out too quickly, slowly undoing him.

Harry nodded, the movement tense. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay," he said around uneven breaths, and then the wizard brushed up against something that made his back arch up off the bed, and he groaned the wizard's name when he pressed against it again with more purpose.

"You like that?" Draco asked, "When I do this?" He curled his fingers up again.

" _Yes._ Fuck yes," Harry gasped, nodding like his life depended on it, and his hand dropped from Draco's arm to slide down and wrap around another body part of the blond's.

Draco's eyelids dipped as Harry's hand began to move around him in earnest, and he hummed as he fought to keep from getting too excited, he carefully slid fingers out and leaned forward and down to capture parted lips, his mouth gratefully pressing to the wizard's. "Harry," he said in almost a whisper, "Can I?" And lips less than an inch from his jerked in the air separating them sharply before a chin began to move in a decidedly vertical movement pulling red lips in a similar fashion.

"Yeah," Harry said, releasing the wizard, and eyes locked with his, holding him trapped in their intense gaze, as they moved away slowly to allow other body parts to move closer.

Draco swiped up the tube without looking down, using it before carefully shifting forward again between the wizard's legs, gently pressing his knees into the bottom of the wizard's thighs, edging them apart further. He looked down at Harry, and he felt his lips curl up as the organ in his chest pounded an erratic beat against his ribs as if it wanted out, surely trying to leave him for the wizard splayed out beneath him. He grasped himself when Harry nodded encouragingly, and Draco pressed forward.

Harry sucked in a sharp breath as the wizard above him shifted in carefully, green eyes forcing shut as his muscles tensed and jaw clenched.

"Harry," was said, the words tight, "you okay?"

The wizard nodded jerkily as all movement from the wizard above paused. He cleared his throat, breaths jagged in his tightening throat. "I'm fine, keep going." A hand settled on his hip gently, the thumb sliding tenderly over tense muscles.

Draco let out a controlled breath between almost closed lips as he forced his hips to only shift ever so slightly forward, sinking more and more into a warmth that made his entire body feel like it was going to catch fire. He continued to inch in at a painfully slow speed, stopping when Harry's breaths would grow too unsteady - and once he had settled almost all the way in he gave the gasping wizard's hip a squeeze and then carefully shifted down, settling long fingers into silky sheets on either side of the wizard's head once more. He waited.

Pained green eyes opened and met hooded grey ones, and Draco huffed a whisper of a laugh when Harry looked at him in what could almost qualify as disdain. "What?" he asked.

Harry eyed him coolly and said, "I think I got the short end of the stick."

Draco's chest shook at that, as he held his lower body still, and he pressed apologetic lips to Harry's scowling ones. "We've not even started," he said and pressed again to lips that were twitching in a suspiciously upward fashion. "I promise, I'll make it up to you," he said and kissed the right corner of the wizard's mouth where it had curled up. And he carefully rolled his hips forward the slightest bit, and pressed his mouth to the wizard's chin just below his mouth. "I promise," he said more fervently and rolled his hips again, pressing lips to the wizard's jaw, and warm hands finally settled onto his sides as a small sound rumbled in Harry's throat that sounded promising itself when he rolled hips yet again.

Harry nodded as the wizard moved over him, brushing and then trapping his neglected body part between them with purpose, his cool smooth stomach pressing more firmly down on it with each roll and making the air catch in his throat from the pressure.

Draco pressed his mouth to Harry's neck, his tongue coming out to taste just over pulsating skin, and he hummed when Harry gasped at the touch as his hips continued to move slowly over the wizard, his flavor dancing over his taste buds over and over. "Why do you taste so good right now?" he murmured.

"Fuck, I-I don't know," Harry said, his hands grasping harder onto pale hips, following the movement and encouraging Draco to speed up a little as it all began to feel decidedly more pleasurable than painful. "Draco..."

A noise rumbled in the back of Draco's throat that almost sounded like a purr to the distracted vampire's ears as he tilted his head to trail his tongue up the side of the wizard's neck again, ignoring eager teeth just _barely_ as he began to pull out a little with each thrust. "Yeah Harry?" And Harry arched up, pressing his entire torso against him, warming skin sharing its heat with cool in a _surge_ when the blond tilted his hips more upward, hitting a certain spot and stealing all the air from the wizard's chest below.

Draco groaned, the sound low and edged with something rough and desperate, jerking his mouth back from tempting skin as he was filled with heat that encompassed him from his head all the way down to his toes from the wizard's magic. " _Shit Harry_ , don't do that," he forced out between clenched teeth as he struggled to pull his body back from the ledge it had been madly sprinting towards. "I won't last if you keep sharing your life magic like a suicidal maniac." He forced hips to keep moving.

"Sorry," Harry said, and he watched, chest rising and falling heavily, as the blond pushed up higher to put more space between, dipping his head, platinum locks hiding his face as stomach muscles flexed with each thrust. "Draco... I'm-" He groaned when hips pushed up again, green eyes wanting to roll back even as a guilt somehow made itself known. "I'm, I'm not suicidal, I can't, I'm-I'm-"

Grey eyes flicked up. "I know," Draco said quietly and then pushed hips forward, tilting them upward again, red lips parting with an uneven breath. He nodded. "I know Harry." And then he slid a hand down between them, and Harry groaned as smooth fingers wrapped around him and began to move in sync with talented rolling hips, and his body felt like it was on overload as he mumbled curses along with the blond's name.

Draco bit down on his bottom lip with sharp teeth as he fought to hold his body back in more than one way. He slammed in a little harder, his hand tightening its grip. "Come on Harry," he said in a tight voice, not sure how much longer he'd last, "come for me."

And vibrant green eyes shot up, meeting intense grey ones as the wizard did just that, gasping his _name_ with each jerk of his hips, the words grabbing hold of the blond and pulling him over the edge headfirst with him.

" _Harry_ ," was groaned from bright red lips, drawn out in a low voice as hips continued to move, and when they finally stopped Draco let himself drop forward, covering the heavily breathing Harry beneath him, their chests rising and falling in perfect tandem against the others as his head rested on the sheets beside the wizard's. He felt a hand in his hair, and a relaxed breath escaped his lips before he asked, "Was that okay?" He felt the chest shake beneath him.

"Yeah. Yeah that was definitely okay," was said.

Draco smiled softly. "Good." He pressed lips blindly to the corner of upturned lips and then rested his head again. "Good."


	23. Chapter 23

"Oh. I've got a good one," Blaise said as he sat at the top of Pansy's bed beside the dark-haired witch on Christmas night, Draco and Harry at the opposite end. They had spent the day with Draco's mother, with lots of hot cocoa, sweets, gifts, Christmas music, and countless stories about Draco as a child that had Harry grinning most of the day. The four young wizards were now holed up in Pansy's room, Draco's two friends having informed Harry that every year it was custom for each of them to ask one of the other a single question, and it had to be answered. Draco's best friend grinned widely. "It's for you, Draco."

The blond sniffed, and eyed his best friend closely as he lay at the foot of the bed stretched out lazily behind a quiet Harry, resting the side of his face on a bent arm, not touching the wizard just in front of him but for his hand at the middle of his lower back, his thumb sliding up and down along his fitted black shirt he'd thrown on after it had gotten late. "All right. Have at it."

Blaise looked to Pansy, who nodded immediately, and then he turned back to Draco, leaning back on hands as his smile grew impossibly wider. "Have you and Harry mated yet?"

Draco's hand stilled. "What?" he asked, and he felt Harry tense in front of him. He clenched his jaw when Blaise and Pansy began to laugh, leaning against each other. "That's not funny, Blaise," he said sharply, standing up a little too fast, because his teeth had just coated themselves with venom, but instead of burning it felt numbing, and he suddenly needed to get further away from Harry. He glared down at his friend, anger roaring to life like a forest fire inside his chest.

And Blaise just continued to grin up at him, brown eyes dancing with mirth. "So I'll take that as a no then?" He tsk'ed. "I never took you for a slacker, Draco."

Draco took a step forward, then a hand was suddenly on his arm, staying him.

"Draco, it's okay," Harry said, shooting the Slytherin his own scowl before looking at him, green eyes swimming with an uncertainty that had Draco taking a step away from him, because his own feelings were so starkly contrasting he couldn't stand it.

Draco's gaze flitted between the three wizards who were all watching him closely, and he felt suddenly very out of place. Because he was a vampire. And they weren't. He had forgotten that somehow.

He smoothed down his tie as his mind began to race, feeling disconcertingly familiar to how it had been his first few weeks newly turned. And he let cool eyes slip across the room as he refused to meet the wizards' gazes. "I'm done here. I'll see you all in the morning." And he turned and made his way for the door, forcing his legs to move at a normal speed and ignoring the footsteps following behind him. He was out in the hallway when he finally spun to meet wide green eyes. "What do you want, Harry?"

And Harry slowed, bringing himself to a stop just feet from the agitated blond. "Are you okay?"

Draco sneered, "Of course I'm bloody okay, do you think I can't handle Blaise's jokes, we've been friends since first year."

Harry looked around the quiet hall and pushed hands deep into pants pockets. "Yeah, well I've been friends with Ron that long too. Doesn't mean he doesn't still piss me off."

Draco held his muscles still, tensed, not trusting what they would do if he relaxed. "Harry, I assure you, I'm fine, I _just_ want to be _alone_ ," he said and turned to leave once more, no footsteps following him as he made his way down the darkened hallway.

* * *

Draco sat on his balcony with eyes closed and knees pulled towards him, his elbows leaning on thighs so his face could hide in the crooks of his arms, pale hands rested over platinum blond hair under a pale moon, stars twinkling like ice far above.

He let out a slow breath, the frigid air around him and the frozen stones beneath not affecting him, because he was just as cold. _Mate._

Jaw muscles clenched, forcing lethal canines to remain useless - and anger began to well in a forced slow-moving chest. Because he felt like he was fighting a part of himself that only seemed to grow with each breath, because he couldn't get the looping word out of his not wholly wizard mind ever since his best friend had mentioned it so nonchalantly, because he didn't want to, because he wanted something. _Harry_.

He held back a groan, refusing to let his body entertain the ideas racing through his head. He couldn't. He couldn't. And venom pooled in his mouth, disagreeing. A low groan escaped between blood red lips.

* * *

"Hey Harry!"

"Hullo Potter."

Harry nodded, smiling politely at a few sixth-year Ravenclaws as he passed them in the train hallway, the wizard wearing a charcoal hoodie and dark jeans, his hair in its usual state of disarray. He couldn't remember their names, or if he'd even ever known their names but that wasn't unusual. He stopped, glancing in the compartment where his two childhood friends sat, and he steeled himself before pushing open the door. "Hey guys," he said.

"Harry!" Hermione chirped, standing up and pulling him into a hug as his trunk settled on the shelf above them. "It's so good to see you, how was your break?"

Harry gave her a small squeeze, happy to see the bushy-haired witch again. "Good. How was yours?"

The witch pulled back only to tug the messy-haired wizard down on the bench beside her like she was afraid he might leave otherwise. "Good. Except for Molly trying to constantly 'put a little healthy weight on me,'" she said with an eye roll.

Harry held back a grin, and then he glanced over at his silent friend hesitantly. "Hey Ron."

"Harry."

Harry scrubbed at his hair, looking down at his lap.

"So Harry, where's, ah, where's Draco?" Hermione asked, her voice suddenly higher pitched.

Harry looked over at the witch. "With Blaise and Pansy."

Ron scoffed, and suddenly narrowed green eyes shot back over to his friend.

"What was that?" Harry asked, quietly.

"Guys, come on," Hermione cut in before Ron could respond, shooting her boyfriend a pointed look. "Ron, _remember_ what we _talked_ about?" she said with wide eyes, tilting her head in Harry's direction with each emphasized word.

And the Gryffindor's face scrunched up in a pained look before relaxing reluctantly with a sigh. "SorryHarry," the wizard mumbled at his hands.

Black eyebrows shot up. "What?" The wizard said nothing in response.

"I'll be right back, going to run to the loos," Hermione said pointedly to her boyfriend as she stood up quickly. She shot Harry a tight smile before leaving the two wizards alone.

Harry leaned back with a mental groan, and green eyes soon found themselves looking out on the passing white scenery outside, the snow matte under heavy grey clouds that promised even more. His thoughts drifted to the Slytherin he had parted with on the platform before boarding, because at the time Harry had wanted to try to make amends with his best friend. Now, he wasn't so sure.

"My mum and dad sent you a present."

Harry looked over to see his friend standing up, reaching into his trunk, and he pulled out a soft square gift wrapped in muted red parchemnt with twine as the bow. He held it out.

Harry took the gift, the wizard sitting back down across from him as he read the attached tag.

_To: Harry_

_Happy Christmas, dear, we hope to see you soon!_

_Love,_

_Arthur and Molly_

Harry felt a twinge of guilt. He cleared his throat as he began to pull at the twine bow. "Thanks," he said hesitantly.

"Yeah. Well don't get too excited," his friend said, sounding less gruff than he had ever since he'd seen Harry in Draco's dorm.

Harry's lips turned up as he tore open the red wrapping paper to find a knitted sweater, scarf and hat set in Gryffindor colors.

"My mum doesn't seem to understand warming charms," Ron joked with a tense laugh.

Harry's grin grew and he looked up at his friend. "Tell her I said thanks."

The wizard nodded, his expression waffling between several emotions. "Harry, listen—"

Harry tensed at that, the smile dropping.

"I don't want to fight," Ron said quickly before Harry's expression could grow any darker. "I really don't." Harry nodded slightly, his expression still wary. And Ron sighed. "Harry, you're my best mate, and we've gone through too much to fight over something so stupid." Green eyes narrowed. "I mean, not that your relationship with Malfoy is stupid." Ron's face scrunched up in distaste.

Harry started to stand.

"Harry, wait!" Ron said, and the wizard stopped, settling back down but not looking happy. "It's just hard for me, because of who he is, not because of anything else. It's nothing to do with you. You know that right?" Harry started to open his mouth to speak. "But it doesn't matter, because if he's who... who you - _like._ Then so be it."

Harry blinked.

"I won't say anything more about it. I swear. You and..." Ron pressed his lips together tightly. "You and Draco, I can see how it works."

Green eyes widened. "You can?" Harry asked, gobsmacked.

Ron nodded begrudgingly. "Yeah. I mean. Like I said before, I kinda thought you had a thing for him back in fifth. And he's always been a bit obsessed with you. So. Yeah."

Harry settled back in his seat, not sure how he felt. He looked up at his friend, who offered him a hesitant smile. "You're really okay with us?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah." He shifted in his seat. "So we're good?"

Harry felt his lips turn up slightly, still weighted by other concerns. "Yeah, we're good."

" _Finally_ ," Hermione huffed as she pulled the door open, shooting the two wizards a look of reproach. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" 

* * *

"Something bothering you, Harry?"

Green eyes shot up from the Potions book before them, meeting quiet grey orbs. "Oh, uh, no. Not at all," he said with a quick head shake. He cleared his throat and looked back down at the page on their potion as he stood beside Draco in Potions class. He was having a harder time than usual standing beside the wizard their second day back at school and that was for many reasons.

The first being that he didn't know how to act around him in public. He didn't know if Draco wanted to keep their relationship a secret from the rest of the school, although, he was sure most knew or suspected it, because everyone seemed to watch them when they interacted ever since they'd gotten back from break, which was admittedly Harry's fault. And he hadn't told Draco yet. Although, to be fair, they could think the feelings were one-sided. He'd admitted to feeling _strongly_ about Draco in front of quite a few schoolmates, but he hadn't said it was reciprocated. For all they knew he was just infatuated with his Potions partner. The wizard snorted at the thought.

"What's so funny?" was asked close to his ear, small cool puffs of air brushing sensitive skin and making the Gryffindor's pulse speed up instantly.

Harry shifted away slightly. "Nothing." He glanced over to find a platinum brow raised and grey eyes unimpressed. "What're you doing tonight?"

Draco's lips cocked up one side, and the lean blond shifted closer as he reached for a dish filled with rose thorns on Harry's side of the table. "Prefect meeting, you?"

Harry stood frozen as the wizard's arm brushed his stomach lightly as he pulled back, and he cleared his throat as his body began to rebel and make it even harder to think around the second reason he was having a hard time standing beside the wizard. He and Draco had shagged. Once. The next day Harry had been expecting a repeat, but there hadn't been one, or anything for that matter the rest of the break past heated kisses pressed up against walls at the oddest times. Draco would be showing Harry some portrait of a family member he didn't particularly care for or they'd be walking down the hall to go to their rooms, and Harry would find himself pressed between the wizard's tone body and the wall. But then the blond would pull back and just walk off, or even weirder, start talking again like nothing had happened.

Harry glanced up at the blond, his skin looking more pale than usual and the skin under his eyes bruised. He resisted the urge to touch him as they stood in the class. "What about after?"

Grey eyes shifted back over, the expression behind them suddenly unreadable. "What about it?" the wizard asked as their potion bubbled.

Harry shrugged. "Do you want to meet up?"

Draco held his gaze a moment longer and then broke it, waving his wand over the cauldron to freeze its progress and then filling two glass vials. He handed one to Harry, his fingertips brushing the wizard's, and a familiar jolt passed between them. "I can't."

Harry watched the blond stuff his book back into his bag before walking off without another word. He let out a heavy breath as the door shut at the back of the room, and he turned back to clean up their table. "Right," he muttered.


	24. Chapter 24

Harry walked down the empty hallway that led to the Head Prefects' private quarters late Friday night, agitated. The lean wizard tugged at the knot of his crimson and gold tie, loosening it, as he passed the portrait of grazing sheep on his left, a few looking up at him and eyeing him warily as they chewed, obviously not having forgotten the incident that seemed like it had happened years ago and not just months. The wizard came to an abrupt halt just in front of the door that led to the Head Prefect common room, and he swallowed, his throat suddenly dry, a hand coming up to scrub at wild locks roughly as he re-thought what he was about to do.

He and Draco hadn't spent _any_ alone time together since Christmas Break, and it was now two weeks into the second semester, and he was fed up with the excuses of why Draco couldn't meet up with him. He just wanted an explanation, a reason, he just wanted—He let his forehead drop forward a couple inches to make contact with the solid door before him in frustration, a muted thud announcing the collision.

He let out a heavy breath, hot air bouncing back at him. He wasn't trying to be pushy, but he and Draco had said things and done things that needed addressed - or at least repeated - if he was going to have a chance at keeping his sanity. Because if he didn't know better he'd think Draco regretted what all had happened between them over break, but Hermione was adamant that vampires didn't _lose interest_ in their intended, that their feelings only persisted or intensified; he'd asked earlier that day. She'd then asked him a few worried follow-up questions, but he'd not paid attention.

Harry groaned softly, emerald eyes falling shut, as he continued to lean on the door, not reaching for the handle. He didn't want to come across needy, because he wasn't a clingy person, he never had been, but after spending the last fourteen days only around the blond for potion-making in class and working on their joint project in the center of the library at its busiest times, he was at his wits' end. He wasn't being whingy... well... maybe he was a little, but he missed the bloody bastard. "Bloody Malfoy," he muttered crossly.

The door swung open, and Harry jerked back, his years of Quidditch the only thing keeping him from falling into the dimly lit room. He found himself looking at the tall blond he'd just been thinking about, the wizard holding the door open in only a pair of black sleep pants, his lean torso on full display.

"Draco," he said, his mind refusing to supply him with anything further as it fully registered the wizard before him; lips blood red, light grey eyes darkened to the shade of flint, the skin just underneath a bruised purple with framing platinum locks mussed slightly. "Were you asleep?"

"Harry, what are you doing out there?" Draco asked, instead of answering, sounding a mixture of confused and irritated.

Harry ran a hand roughly through his hair as he said, hesitantly, "I uh, I need to talk to you about something..."

Draco visibly tensed at that, and he took a step back, making room for the wizard's entrance. "What is it?" he asked, his smooth voice more hurried than usual.

Harry looked around the empty common room as he walked in, shooting a glance up at Hermione's shut door, and then he motioned to the wizard's dorm. "Can we talk in there?"

* * *

Grey eyes closely watched the wizard before them pace the expanse of a large green rug. Draco stood just inside his room, the door shut behind him, and he resisted shifting in place when Harry slowed his step but only to shake his head and let out a huff of a laugh it seemed. He cleared his throat, and vivid green eyes flicked over, the intensity behind them making Draco feel even more on edge, and he resisted moving towards the obviously upset wizard. He didn't trust himself.

"You wanted to talk?" he spoke up, his voice even, despite the tension in his neck and shoulders that had been growing ever since Harry had said he needed to talk. It couldn't be good. He'd been blatantly avoiding him, he knew how it had to seem, but the alternative hadn't been any better.

Harry nodded, and he took a step forward, stopping when Draco shifted back slightly at the movement. "Yeah, I uh." He hesitated. He knew what he wanted to say, but he wasn't sure how he wanted to say it. He let out a heavy breath and went with, "Are you avoiding me?"

Draco pressed red lips together lightly, his hands finding the pockets to his pajamas and tucking inside. He met Harry's gaze, his pulse spiking predictably at the benign connection, and so he kept his feet planted firmly, cursing his instincts that were making it impossible to deny the simple question. "Harry," he started, his low voice softer than usual, "I still like you."

Harry blinked. "You do?" he asked, relief flooding him.

Draco nodded slightly, pushing clenched hands further into his pockets when they wanted to touch the wizard standing in front of his bed, nudging black material lower around his hips. "I do. I'm sorry."

Harry wet dry lips as he found his attention directed to the new patch of exposed skin. He forced it back up, chastising his body when it reacted eagerly. "What's wrong then?" he persisted, because something was definitely wrong. He took a step closer, stopping when the blond tensed up but didn't move away again. "Why've you been avoiding me?"

Draco looked down, platinum locks falling like curtains around his eyes as they studied the dark wooden floor directly in front of him, and he let out a whisper of a laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. He was afraid to tell Harry why he was staying away, because he didn't want Harry to want to stay away. The definition of a lose-lose.

"Did I do something to upset you... over break?"

Draco's gaze pulled back up at that, to find Harry looking at him in a way that made his chest clench up on him. He found himself suddenly moving forward and onto green carpet, stopping just within arm's reach, and he forced out an even breath when it tried to catch in his chest as he looked down at the visibly upset wizard. "No, nothing," he said, and when black brows lifted skeptically he added, "I wouldn't lie to you. I've just been dealing with some things."

Harry nodded a little at that, still not looking overly convinced. "And what does that have to do with avoiding me?"

Draco let his feet move forward some more, and he reached up, gently placing his hand on the side of Harry's neck, sucking in a sharp breath as his eyes lightened, and his body hummed with a heat he'd been missing as of late. He resisted dipping his chin to meet tempting lips when fingertips grazed his bare side, heating him even more but not quite the same way. "It's complicated," he said, his voice roughening, and his tongue darted out to wet his lips. "But nothing's changed about how I feel about you, I promise."

Harry nodded again, his lungs filling with some emotion, leaving little space for air. "Okay," he said, his tone matching Draco's.

Lips curled up on one side, and Draco found himself leaning in towards the wizard, who he'd been missing terribly. "Okay?"

Harry laughed a little, the sound rough but warm, as red lips hovered only inches from his. "Yeah, yeah I trust you."

Draco swallowed back a surge of venom, and he lowered his head to rest his forehead against Harry's, not able to move away. "Thank you Harry, that means a lot to me," he said in a low voice, his control dispersing in the growing pool of want that was slowly taking him over with Harry now so close. His other hand settled carefully on the wizard's tensing neck, and his right thumb began to gently caress over the jumping pulse just under his chin. He bit back a moan at the sensation, the noise barely rumbling in the back of his throat.

Harry's breath hitched, and he nodded, the movement almost imperceptible as Draco's lips edged down closer, the tips of sharp, gleaming canines making themselves visible as grey eyes did the opposite, hiding themselves behind heavy lids, and the blood in his veins sped up violently, whooshing in his ears loudly as if it were trying to warn him. He placed both hands on Draco's chest, increasing the contact between them, and the blond began to breathe unevenly. "Are you okay?" Harry asked.

Draco's lips twitched up for a split-second in almost a snarl as he felt his mind clear slightly, and then air escaped his lungs as he tried to regain control of his muscles, failing. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to mate with Harry without his consent—Teeth clenched together angrily, but the train of thought continued—After all Harry _was_ immortal, he couldn't _possibly_ want to be alone for the rest of his existence. Could he? And he had said he loved him. "Harry," he said finally, and then he pressed his lips to his, urgently, but only for a second before pulling back to ask, "Harry, how do you feel about me?"

"I-What?" Harry asked, and then lips were on his again, and he responded, his hands sliding down and settling on the blond's hips, tugging them closer when lips parted under his, and the kiss deepened as Draco's body pressed up against his. And he groaned into his mouth, the ominous feeling that had been weighing him down just moments before lightening to almost nothing as his thoughts grew less solid, less tangible, like they weren't real.

Draco pulled back suddenly, their lips still close, lungs swapping thinning air, and he looked into deep green eyes as his body crackled with a pent-up energy that was getting harder and harder to contain. "You said you loved me."

"I do." Harry nodded, wetting his lips. "I do love you."

Draco hummed, the sound short and excited. "You want to be with me?"

Harry hesitated as he felt something bloom inside his chest at the question, and he wasn't sure if it was pleasant or not. "Yeah, I do."

And then Draco hummed again, but it sounded more like a growl, his gaze darkening, and his right hand slid around, cupping the back of Harry's head - exposing his neck. " _Harry_."

Harry swallowed hard around a huge lump in his throat. "Y-yeah, Draco?"

And Draco leaned in closer, to whisper against his neck just over his racing pulse: "I _want_ you."


	25. Chapter 25

_"_ I _want_ you."

Harry felt all the air escape from his lungs in a _whoosh_ , and he found himself nodding as his pupils dilated, black spreading outward and doing its best to completely take over green as if they wanted to match the gaze that so often trapped them. The wizard wasn't sure if Draco was referring to shagging - or something else completely - but before he'd even considered which it might be, he heard himself saying roughly, "You - you can have me."

Draco's lips twitched upward. "I can?" he asked, quietly to hide the answering roughness in his own voice.

"Y-yeah," Harry breathed out. He swallowed hard when cool lips pressed softly to his neck just over his collar in response, lingering, and his hands tightened their grip on the blond's bare hips, his mind swimming in a maelstrom of conflicting thoughts, and his heart racing like it wanted to escape.

"Hmmm," Draco hummed, using his thumb to gently nudge back the wizard's unbuttoned white collar to reveal two small marks that had been hidden by the starched material, and Harry's breaths grew increasingly stilted. The vampire's pale thumb brushed over the marked skin in a whisper light touch, his own breath catching silently in his chest when Harry groaned, the sound low, and needy.

Green eyes fell shut when Draco leaned in closer and began to kiss the sensitive patch of skin - first the touch only a feather soft grazing of closed lips, but then with each new caress it grew firmer, more urgent, like he was working up to something. Draco's free arm wrapped around the middle of his back, pulling him closer, securing him. "And you... you love me too?" Harry asked, needing to hear it confirmed, as his heart pounded in his ears.

"I do," Draco whispered, the admission puffed softly over glistening skin, and Harry nodded with a shudder as the cool air somehow heated his neck and then sunk in, sliding down. Draco pulled back to meet the wizard's gaze, finding it edged with an unsureness. "That's not going to change, I promise."

"Good," Harry breathed, and then he pulled him into a kiss, lips parting immediately. And Draco found himself moving forward blindly as the wizard pedaled backwards, kissing him heatedly while pulling him over plush green carpeting and towards the bed that sat too empty and directly behind him, and the Gryffindor's knees gave way eagerly to the mattress when they met only seconds later, bringing the two wizards toppling down onto Draco's bed. The tall blond pushed up onto spread knees and hands, lungs tight, and slinking forward when Harry shifted himself fully onto the bed to keep the dark-haired wizard directly beneath him.

Harry looked up at him. "Thought this would be better," he said around shortened breaths.

Draco swallowed back a surge of venom, and he nodded slowly as sharp canines began to throb dully, and then he felt hands settle on either side of his neck. Heat _bloomed_ inside his chest and then spread out, covering his entire body. His eyelids dipped in relief, and expressive green eyes that were framed by ridiculously messy midnight locks did the same. He huffed a whisper of a laugh. "We really need to discuss that at some point," he said.

"Yeah, but not now," Harry said a little breathlessly, and Draco found himself agreeing when the wizard dropped his hands to pull at the sloppy knot of his crimson and gold tie, undoing it, and then he began to fumble with the fastened buttons of his shirt. "Later."

Draco leaned up to let the wizard pull his shirt off, revealing his tone torso, and then he watched as Harry undid his slacks in a hurry, pushing them over his hips as he left red boxers on. The dark-haired wizard sat up to slide them over his knees, and then he reached out and grasped the blond around the back of his neck, and tugged him forward to meet his lips as he kicked them off the rest of the way.

Draco's lips curled up slightly as he nudged Harry back down, their tongues meeting, and he hummed at the flavor of the wizard on his taste buds after two torturous weeks. Heated hands slid down his back, and he pulled back to murmur, "I've missed you." He began to place kisses along the wizard's jawline. "So much," he whispered silkily into his ear.

Harry nodded as lips began to trail down his neck slowly. "I missed you too."

Draco found himself once more hovering just over the wizard's collarbone, his mouth opening, and a stilted breath escaped his lungs as he barely resisted closing the gap another time with aching teeth. The wizard groaned under him and arched his neck up - supple skin meeting sharp canines.

Grey eyes widened, darkening as the blond's teeth rested against skin that seemed to _want_ their touch as much as they wanted its. He held perfectly still - and his tongue dipped down of its own accord, tasting the skin, checking, and his eyes turned a pitch black, his thoughts following suit, when it confirmed the taste of his intended mate, a noise rumbling in Harry's chest that echoed throughout his entire body. And then a numbness began to slowly take over his teeth, starting at the top and coating with a special kind of venom, and his breaths grew shorter as a small portion of his mind began to fight to make sense. What was he thinking?

Draco jerked back to find himself looking down into hooded green eyes.

"Draco..." Harry said, blinking a few times, as he tried to focus on the blond hovering over him. He frowned slightly when he met fully black orbs. "Are you all right?" He reached up a hand and touched the wizard's neck out of habit, and black eyes fell shut, the blond dipping his head and hiding his face in the crook of Harry's neck as a current passed between the two wizards for the third time that night, feeling somehow more necessary with each time.

"I'm okay. Just thirsty," Draco lied as he struggled to gather himself. He felt the hand on his neck slide down to his shoulder, and then it began to trail along his side carefully, and he breathed in slowly, willing the Gryffindor's scent and touch to relax him instead of wire him up more.

He nuzzled into wild raven locks, avoiding tempting skin below, and then he felt fingertips dip in to slide down the plane of his stomach and over the front of his black silk pajamas. " _Harry_ ," he murmured, pressing into the touch slightly, and the wizard seemed to take that as encouragement, slipping under the silky material in search of skin that was even silkier.

Draco's breath hitched when the wizard's hand found purchase, fingers slowly wrapping around, and he groaned in bliss as they began to move, sliding over him a few times before stopping. "What the hell, Potter," he growled.

Harry laughed, and he gave Draco a small squeeze that had him letting out an 'ah' and his hips shifted forward.

Draco bit down on his entire lower lip as he pulled hips back and then rolled them forward again, the hand tightening around him, and he groaned a laugh as he began to move with more coordination. "Fuck Harry, that's nice," he said appreciatively, and he kissed the wizard's ear as his hips sped up, keeping teeth from wandering.

"You can if you want to, you know," Harry said in a rough voice, and then he tilted his head to the side. "I don't mind."

Draco held aching teeth in check as he pulled back a little to study the offered gift with dark grey eyes, his hips slowing but the hand around it tightening. His tongue darted out to wet red lips, his heart thumping insistently. "Are you offering yourself as a snack, Harry?" he asked, his tone more quiet than teasing.

Harry swallowed hard, and he let out a tight laugh, nodding minutely. "Yeah. I guess so."

Draco's eyes slipped shut, and he sped up his thrusts, trying to distract himself, because he wanted more than that at the moment. But he couldn't ask for it. "I shouldn't." A hand grasped the side of his neck and guided him down, stopping when his teeth were hovering just over warm skin.

"I want you to," Harry said, voice like gravel as he held willing canines too close, wanting the blond's teeth on his neck, and possibly something more that he couldn't vocalize, because it was stuck somewhere between his lungs and his lips, his brain refusing to help out. So he forced out what he could: "Bite me, Draco."

And then Draco's mind clicked shut, or open, he couldn't tell which, as his burning teeth pressed to deliciously thudding skin - and sunk down - and _in_.

Harry gasped, and Draco groaned as the wizard's blood began to spill into his mouth and over his tongue, coating it completely, and his hips began to move of their own accord as he sucked on the bite marks, drawing the hot savory liquid more quickly.

" _Fuck_ ," Harry cursed, his free hand grasping a fistful of silky blond locks as sharp teeth held him in place, and then a low noise sounded in the back of Draco's throat as he sped up his hips - finishing all over the Gryffindor's hand and stomach at the same time a familiar numbing began to race down his teeth - reaching pierced skin below _just_ before he jerked back sharply.

Harry stared up at the wizard with wet red lips parted, grey eyes wide, his chest heaving. Something feeling very different. He felt different. "Did you just...?" He lifted a hand to his oddly throbbing neck, but Draco's hand shot out and grabbed it.

" _Sorry_ ," Draco breathed the wholly inadequate apology as he studied the skin that was still pushing blood to the surface, not able to look away or think properly, and he dipped down slowly until he was puffing cool air on the area that was wet with blood... and his mating venom. Harry's breath was choppy in his ear as his mouth opened, and he slid his tongue along the warm skin on instinct, lapping at the two bite marks, cleaning the area gently. Harry arched his lower body up tensely under the touch.

"I'm so sorry, Harry," he said again, softly, "I didn't mean to," and then he ran his tongue along the skin once more, eliciting a gasp from the wizard beneath him as it sealed shut unexpectedly with a tingling sensation.

"No. No, it's okay. Don't apologize," Harry said, his heart hammering inside his chest, disagreeing with his words - because something didn't feel quite right, but then again he didn't know how being mated was supposed to feel - and then before he could say anything else Draco was pressing red lips fervently to his collarbone and then his chest and down his stomach, and the dark-haired wizard was nodding adamantly when they lingered just above his waist line, placing heated open-mouthed kisses to the skin below his navel as if they were waiting for something. " _Please_ ," he said and then groaned when lips complied, wrapping around him and clearing his thoughts for the moment.

* * *

Draco sat with lips pressed tightly together on the edge of crisp white sheets, his head swimming and making him feel like he might fall over.

"How have you been feeling lately, Mr. Malfoy?"

The blond cleared his throat silently. "I feel fine." He was met with lifted brows and pursed lips. He closed his eyes, and gave his head a minute shake before meeting the mediwitch's gaze again. "I've been a little more tired," he admitted to stop the questioning, full denial would only encourage more digging.

Madam Pomfrey stood in front of the locked cupboard, her sharp gaze not softening, and she made her way over to the blond.

Draco clenched fingers into starched sheets as irritation crawled up his throat at the delay of his satiation, the mediwitch stopping in front of him, and she began to wave her wand over him.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Two days," he bit out. Almost black eyes slid closed, Draco fighting the urge to lash out at the witch lest he draw more questions. He was fine. He'd admittedly been feeling more rundown since he'd... _been_ with Harry, but he was fine.


	26. Chapter 26

Harry rubbed distractedly at his neck as he sat outside late Sunday evening alone on an aged, wrought iron bench. The sky was layered a deep orange and red over the forbidden forest, the treeline roughly ten yards away. He blinked a few times rapidly when his vision blurred the words to the book he was reading, the one Hermione had given him for Christmas. He scrubbed unconsciously at his hair as he continued to read the chapter on mating, hoping it would explain in detail how it was supposed to feel. He just couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't _right_.

The dark-haired wizard didn't know what exactly he'd thought mating with Draco would feel like, probably because he'd avoided thinking about it at all cost, but he had assumed it would feel more... definite. Instead he'd just felt restless and agitated ever since the blond had bitten him two days before, the bite having shifted from burning and euphoric to something else he couldn't place; promising, or uncertain - maybe? Did that make sense?

Harry groaned, and he closed achy eyes when they blurred again, setting the book down. He needed to talk to Draco about it, and he couldn't help but think it was going to be incredibly awkward. They hadn't even addressed their bonding officially yet.

He pushed his glasses up, black rims brushing an equally dark fringe as he scrubbed closed eyes with his knuckles, feeling exhausted.

A howl pierced the quiet air, and then two more sounded in reply from further away, and the wizard's hand jerked away from his face, green eyes opening sharply in response. He pulled his black hoodie up more around his neck to keep out the chilled air as he double-checked the moon cycle to confirm its crescent shape and then glanced around the darkening grounds that were now bare of wizards excepting himself.

The moon drifted behind a stray cloud in the darkening sky, and a cold breeze swept over the forest. The unsteady limbs of a long-dead tree tremored, and Harry felt a chill run down his spine, an uneasy feeling taking root. He glanced over to the castle, which suddenly seemed much further away, and then down to the ground between his feet.

He watched a black spider crawl hurriedly over the blades of grass as a dark feeling came over him, his eyes narrowing slightly in thought.

Draco was supposed to have met up with him an hour ago. Harry pulled the letter from his pocket he'd received earlier that day from the blond, double-checking the time, and black brows slowly pulled down, his lips following, as he realized something just then about the note he'd not noticed before in his hurry.

* * *

Draco stood up, and his vision swam a little, everything swaying, and his thoughts followed the dizzying motion. His left arm pressed against the wall for support as he took in a shallow breath. He'd been feeling progressively worse ever since the hospital wing visit. He gave his head a shake, and smoothed down his wrinkled shirt.

He _needed_ to find Harry, he didn't know why, but he did.

The green flames in the fireplace started roaring more loudly, and he could feel the pressure uncomfortably squeezing against his eardrums. Or maybe they hadn't gotten louder. What was that rushing sound?

"-aco. Draco. Are you okay?"

Draco weakly pushed away from the hand stretched out toward him, and moved from the wall, trying to find the door. Where was he again? Grey eyes squinted and then looked around, everything was spinning. Odd...

" _Draco_? Get Madam Pomfrey, Pansy, hurry."

The tall blond frowned. He was fine. He didn't need to see her again. He took a step forward, and then fell against something hard.


	27. Chapter 27

"How was this not caught?"

"The potion was not one I've ever heard of, as you know I've been checking for all standard signs of tampering, and I even did a spectrum marker test for less common ones when he first began to show odd symptoms. The blood came back clean—"

Draco rolled onto his side, his stomach roiling as consciousness slowly but stubbornly teased his sluggish mind and aching body back to the world of the living like a sick joke.

"He's waking up... Draco,"—There was a cool hand on the blond's cheek and then up onto his forehead, and he grimaced as he tried to open uncooperative eyes—"Can you hear me?"

Draco batted the hand away, and grey eyes finally decided to cooperate as they opened, slowly making sense of too bright of objects and a jerky movement just above him that had him feeling like he might be sick. "Blaise, please," he croaked, waving the hovering wizard away from him.

"Mr. Malfoy, how are you feeling?" was asked in a clipped, no-nonsense voice, and the blond clenched his eyes shut, "Do you know where you are?"

"Infirmary," Draco bit out, agitated, then with barely a pause, "Where's Harry?"

The room stilled.

Grey eyes opened again, the mostly white room more clear, the lights around him appearing to have been dimmed, and he found Blaise, Pansy, Madam Pomfrey, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Headmistress McGonagall all standing around him, no one looking like they wanted to answer. "Where's-"

"Don't worry, Mr. Malfoy," the Headmistress spoke up, moving closer. "Mr. Potter will be found, and soon, the Aurors are looking for him as we speak. They were contacted as soon as he was reported missing by Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley."

Draco started to push himself up, and Madam Pomfrey was suddenly by his side.

"Careful, you need to wait for the antidote to fully heal you before getting up, or you'll just end up back here again," the mediwitch scolded in a surprisingly understanding tone as she situated the pillows behind him.

"Antidote to what, what happened to me?" Draco asked as he settled back against fluffed pillows but refused to lie down, watching as the two Gryffindors began to edge back some, whispering in a heated rush between each other at the perimeter of his curtained room, Blaise and Pansy discreetly eyeing Harry's two closest friends.

"You were being cursed, Mr. Malfoy," was said in a more private voice as the Headmistress moved closer, and the two Slytherins took that moment to tiptoe over to Harry's increasingly agitated looking friends, "The nutrient supplies we were acquiring on your behalf from Durmstrang were being tampered with, it's being looked into. It appears someone wanted you dead."

Madam Pomfrey turned to him from a small metal potion table she had set up in the corner to his right. "Vampires are very resilient, immortal by most's standards, but this potion appears to slowly drain a wizard of their life magic. You're lucky you've lasted this long," she said, shooting him a long look as she held out a potion to him expectantly. "This is your final dose."

Draco took a glass vial just larger than the size of his thumb filled with an inky blue potion with golden glowing specks swirling in it, looking like a living sample of the night sky, and he downed it without hesitation. "Can I go now?" he asked as he handed the emptied vial back, resisting shooting a glance over to the four suddenly silent wizards.

"Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall spoke up once more, and she shot a severe look over narrow glasses that encompassed all the young wizards. "You are in no condition to go anywhere. The best thing you all can do right now is sit tight and wait for Harry to be found." Draco pressed his lips together tightly and nodded stiffly, the four other wizards doing so in varying degrees of enthusiasm. "I have to go now, the Minister of Magic will be here soon," McGonagall said, the tall witch turning and walking off in a hurry, her shoes snapping progressively faster as she departed.

"Try to get some rest now, Mr. Malfoy," Madam Pomfrey said, and then she placed a few more vials of the potion he'd just drank on the nightstand by his side. She shot him a pointed look. "In case you don't heed my advice, they must be taken at least ten minutes apart or they're toxic," she said and then made her way past the standing wizards, pulling the curtain shut behind her to leave them in privacy.

Draco pushed himself up and off the hospital bed immediately, ignoring the muscles in his legs as they cramped in protest. He caught the coat and slacks Blaise had pulled from Pansy's purse upon the curtains fluttering shut, and he eyed Harry's friends with a guarded expression as he stepped into his slacks, pulling them over shorts in his hurry. "Are you coming with us?"

* * *

 

Harry groaned. Hands began to search groggily around in the dark, fingertips trailing over cold, slippery ground, the sound of rushing water in the distance echoing around him and inside his head, disorienting him further. He patted over his sweatshirt pocket for his wand as he pushed himself more upright, coming up empty, and then he shifted back a few inches with a grimace, finding a solid stone wall to lean against as he blinked in the darkness, his entire right side aching like he'd been blindsided by the Hogwarts Express. His ears picked up on an almost rhythmic dripping sound that offset the roaring waters as it echoed too, and he struggled to piece together where he was and why, his head throbbed a few solid times in protest at his upright position.

"Ah, you're awake, good."

Harry froze at the words as they bounced around him strangely, and then a fire burst to life on the ground a few yards away to his right, dancing off gleaming dark walls and setting a tall shadowed figure center stage. "Where am I?" he asked roughly, his throat stinging, and he swallowed, the action only agitating it further.

"You must be thirsty, you've been out a while," the figure said in a low soft voice as it stood, and Harry began to shift himself carefully in the opposite direction, finding his entire left side pressed up against a wall after only a foot of progress as what was clearly a man carefully approached him as he sat injured in a corner. "Here," was said simply as a metal cup was offered towards him, hovering just inches out of reach. "It's just water."

Harry looked down, searching around the floor of what he was realizing with a sinking feeling was a cave. Where was he? How far was he from Hogwarts? Had he been apparated—

"You won't find your wand."

Green eyes shot back up, narrowing. "Where is it?" he asked sharply, ignoring the discomfort of talking. He eyed the man, considering if he could take him despite his state. "Who are you, why did you bring me here?"

"Take the water, Harry Potter, you'll need it." The cup was set down arm's reach away when he didn't respond with more than a glare, and then the silhouette of a man backed away. "I'm not your captor, I'm just his servant," was said quietly, "you should drink it before he shows up."

Harry swallowed, ignoring his scratchy throat and throbbing side, and he began to search the cave for an exit.

* * *

 

"Our best bet right now is Fang," Hermione Granger said over her shoulder as she walked at top speed, the dark treeline of the Forbidden Forest growing rapidly as they approached its entrance, the morning sun overhead no longer visible, "We don't know what type of spells they've cast to put us off their trail. I've put an enhancement charm on his nose too." The watery-eyed mastiff snorted at the gnarled ground as he walked obediently between Harry's two friends and into the pitch-dark forest, searching. "Do you think, can you help too, Draco?" she asked, noticeably hesitant despite her hurried speech.

"Maybe. You said he's been gone for twelve hours now?" Draco asked as Blaise lifted his wand and cast a following 'Lumos' to light their path, the canopy above blocking out all light with them just yards inside the forest.

"Yes, somewhere close to that, he left after dinner to go outside..."

Draco nodded tensely, his jaw clenching, and he resisted leaving the four wizards behind just barely as he slowly breathed in the damp woods air around him, letting it fill his lungs as he ran over what all he'd learned in the short span of time it'd taken to sneak out of the hospital and then the castle. Harry had thought he was meeting up with him out by the forest, he'd found a letter that morning in the Prefect common room and thought it was from Draco. His jaw flexed again, sharp teeth tingling as grey eyes darkened, and he caught the scent of something fresh in the air, something he'd never smelled before that day, but one as to which he had no doubt.

His own kind.


	28. Chapter 28

"Harry Potter, we meet again," was said, just softly enough not to truly echo, the words instead reverberating with a faux comforting warmness, like the nearby torch held in long pale fingers. "It's so good to be in each other's presence once more, don't you agree?"

Harry blinked a few times, his head swimming uncomfortably and his thoughts not cooperating as he stood, leaning back heavily against a damp cave wall for support, his chest weak but determined as it heaved in its effort. He didn't know how long he'd been there, or when the man standing before him had appeared, and he had no clue how much time had elapsed since he'd taken a drink of the offered water.

He shouldn't have drank the water.

It was cold, and the wet walls made his hoodie stick to his back. The air had an earthy, underground scent to it, but there was fresh air blowing in from somewhere, because he could feel the temperature shift. It was dark, but lit enough that his eyes were beginning to adjust.

A slow exhale rushed unpleasantly in the wizard's ears, and then a sickening sweet smell began to encompass his mind when he didn't respond, and he barely resisted nodding. "What, do you want from me?" he asked in a rough voice.

Red lips that were too close pulled up, revealing sharp white canines that gleamed under the dancing light. "Oh... Not much," was said in a silky voice.

"Right," Harry muttered under a labored breath as he forced his gaze away from the vampire he'd seen once before, his brain fighting itself as he struggled to make sense of what was happening.

He tried to focus on a nearby crevice in the wall just a few feet to his left he hadn't noticed in the dark, noting it started at the floor and looked to be just large enough to—He was flooded with an even thicker blanket of confusion.

"Aren't you happy here, Harry?"

Harry shook his head, trying to loose the growing tendrils wrapping more and more tightly around his thoughts, squeezing. "No. I... I want to leave," he said weakly, feeling like he was lying, he clenched his jaw tightly _._

Silence ensued, the only noises the background sound of violent water and the wizard's own choppy breaths. What was he doing here? How had it happened? Where was—

"He's got quite the hold on you, doesn't he?" was said finally, a sudden heat behind the quietly spoken words, and then red lips crept closer once more. "We'll just have to fix that."

* * *

Draco stood squarely in front of a tall evergreen, his entire body tensed as he glared at it. A hand touched his shoulder gently. " _Don't_." The hand lifted.

"Draco, come sit down, it won't help to wear yourself out... we all need the rest, especially you," was said softly.

Grey eyes that were nearly the shade of flint closed slowly, and the blond sucked in a silent breath, his chest protesting at the simple action, because there were no markers in it that could help anymore, just woods and animals, and cold. "Pansy, just _leave me alone_."

Soft steps trailed away, and Draco inhaled more slowly.

The scent had disappeared _right_ where he stood. They'd been following a trail for the entirety of the day, only stopping for bare necessities, and now it was gone. Like it'd never existed. If anything happened to Harry—A sick feeling in Draco's stomach stopped the musing; he couldn't think of that. The sound of a lit fire filled the tall blond's senses, and he resisted lashing out at the wizards behind him as they began to settle in for the night.

Round, shining yellow eyes slowly made themselves known in the tree just feet above his direct line of vision, and Draco glared up at the screech owl perched quietly on the lowest hanging limb, as if it were the reason for all his problems. He'd been being poisoned. _How_ had he not noticed it, how had he missed all the warning signs? He'd been feeling tired and weak on and off for a long time now, which he should have known wasn't normal for a vampire, but he'd been too caught up in feeling sorry for himself and in Harry, consumed—Not to mention he'd been taking the Gryffindor's life magic at every turn like an addict, and now he knew why. He'd be dead if it hadn't been for Harry. Draco's chest clenched.

"I brought enough for all of us." Hermione Granger's voice sounded behind the tall blond. He resisted turning around at the sound of Blaise and Pansy reluctantly accepting some of the offered food from the Gryffindor witch, which in a less dire situation might've proved itself entertaining. Where could he have gone? He knew the person who had been messing with his blood supply was very likely who had also taken Harry, and if so, was almost certainly the vampire whose scent he'd picked up on several occasions as it bisected Harry's path too many times...

"Are there any other ways to track him since we've lost his scent? Maybe with his magical signature or something they couldn't mask?" Blaise's voice sounded unusually strained.

"Well... there is a spell we could try... but the problem is, due to the nature of it, it usually requires forethought or knowledge on the caster's part. It tracks the wizard's life magic signature, so you need to have _sampled_ it beforehand..."

Draco tensed at that, turning around slowly.

Ron frowned, the red-headed wizard setting down his plate on the ground between his feet. "But we didn't get it ahead of time, did we?" he asked, looking confused but still hopeful nonetheless.

Hermione shook her head slowly, her hands hidden inside her jacket sleeves as they rested on her lap, her wand poking out of her right one, and then she was shooting a look over at the standing blond. "No, but if someone else had some of it, we could maybe use it," she hedged.

"Someone _else_ have it?" Ron asked, sounding increasingly agitated. " _How_ would someone else have some of Harry's life magic?"

Draco took a step forward, the bushy-haired witch's eyes widening hopefully and Blaise shooting him a wary expression out of the corner of his vision, and he steeled himself. "What do you need me to do?"


	29. Chapter 29

"I think, I think it's working," Hermione said, stepping back carefully over frost-covered ground. Her expression was one of complete concentration as she began to murmur the incantation once more that would hopefully lead them to Harry, Ron muttering something unhelpful about the blond under his breath from over at the fire where he still sat with a huge scowl, Fang dutifully by his side. The four other wizards stood in a small circle by the evergreen where they'd lost Harry's trail. "Do you feel anything, Draco?" the bushy-haired witch asked, her anxious gaze meeting his as her wand finally lowered from his chest.

"I think so," Draco said with a curt nod, choosing to ignore Harry's best friend when his expression darkened considerably at the admission. A slight rushing he'd felt in his chest since the witch had first cast the incantation had just begun to intensify noticeably with each subsequent inhale.

"What now?" Blaise asked quietly by Draco's side, Pansy on his other, the witch having been completely silent ever since Draco's admission to having leached Harry's life magic... on several occasions. Draco's jaw clenched as the unpleasant feeling grew, he wouldn't think of that now.

"We wait," Hermione said softly, and then everyone's attention shot to Draco's chest when it began to glow a bright blue through his jacket, Ron even standing up.

"Is it supposed to do that?" the red-head asked.

"Maybe," Hermione said, grimacing when she received a few bewildered looks. "The book didn't say anything about this specific situation..."

Sharp grey eyes shot down, and Draco found himself watching on with anticipation even as a feeling of trepidation began to build as the light slowly began to draw inward, intensifying just over his galloping heart.

"Are you okay, Draco?" Pansy asked, finally speaking up and taking a step closer.

Draco nodded once, lying, he let out a tight breath as the feelings refused to ebb, the pressure only growing, and just when he thought his chest would explode - a glimmering ball of light the size of a snitch slowly began to pass through his ribs and out, taking the uncomfortable sensation with it.

It stopped to hover just inches in front of him.

"What now?" Ron asked, finally walking over to join his girlfriend.

Hermione bit down on her lip as she studied the unmoving light. "Well, we uh..." She drifted off when the glowing orb started to shrink, glowing visibly brighter - and it began to let off a faint humming sound, the woods around them growing suddenly and completely silent. Then all of the sudden, without warning - it let out a huge _pulse_ of light in all directions that lit the entire forest around them in a rippling wave of blinding blue.

Draco stumbled a step back, squinting, everything having gone white to his sensitive vision, the wizards around him sounding like they were similarly incapacitated. He closed his eyes, holding them shut for a few short beats before opening them again, and everything began to fade back to dark but for a two-inch wide lit _path_ starting at where Draco had just been standing, where they'd lost Harry's trail. The area just around it was now visible under a soft yellow glow, and grey eyes shot out to see where it led.

"Let's pack up," Hermione said over her shoulder, already hurrying over to the fire to throw things into her bag haphazardly, Ron helping her.

Draco took a step forward, stopping and blinking rapidly when his vision dotted out around the edges and his muscles protested, a wave of heat rushing up his neck. A firm hand landed on his shoulder, stabilizing him. "I'm fine," he bit out before the question could be asked.

"Good," Blaise said, "Take this just in case though."

Draco looked down to find a familiar vial of potion, that matched the hidden view above, pressed discreetly against his dark grey jacket. He took it, tipping his head back and downing the potion without a second thought. Grey eyes sharpened as a renewed vigor filled the wizard's core.

* * *

Harry groaned, his hand lifting blindly to tenderly touch his protesting head. He grimaced, cupping his pulsing forehead, and it all felt like a really bad joke of déjà vu. " _Shit_." The light-headed wizard pushed himself slowly into a sitting position amidst complete darkness, fingers resting on soft, silky material that was decidedly not stone, and unsteady green eyes searched for a shred of light.

"You're awake," was said, and the once pitch-dark space was lit, wrought iron sconces mounted every couple yards in an expansive room suddenly glowing a yellowish-white, revealing a perimeter of towering beige stone walls and three solid-looking black doors that matched the sparse furniture, the only accenting color in the room a deep crimson in the pulled drapes and few cushions.

A fireplace flared to life at the end of the room. Harry blinked a few times as he adjusted crooked glasses, finding himself sitting in the middle of an oversized four-post bed with black silk sheets that seemed to go on forever in every direction, no one in sight.

Harry shifted back, searching the bedding around him.

"Looking for your wand?" was asked, and Harry's gaze jerked back up to settle on a dark-haired man who appeared to be twenty-something dressed in all black with rich brown eyes, standing at the foot of the bed, holding out his wand in an open palm.

Harry hesitated at the seemingly offered weapon.

"Here," was said, and it was tossed gently down onto the sheets. It rolled a couple inches, stopping when it hit wrinkled black material just a few feet out of reach. Intense brown eyes studied the unmoving wizard. "Do you not want your wand, Harry Potter?"

Harry shifted up onto his knees cautiously, resisting the urge to pounce at his wand as the tall man stood just inches from it. "Who are you...?"

"Blandus Sanguina," was said simply. The raven-haired man took a deliberate step back before motioning to him. "Please, take it, I mean you no harm."

Harry shifted forward carefully and then swiped up the wand, brandishing it immediately at the unknown man, who appeared for all intents unarmed. He pushed himself off the side of the bed, memories of stone and water and cold refreshing itself in his addled mind, sharpening his thoughts. "Is that why you abducted me?" he asked coolly, green eyes narrowing.

The tall man took in a slow breath, not seeming to mind the wand aimed directly at his chest as Harry sidestepped away from the bed he'd been lying on. "I apologize for that. It was the only way I knew I would have a chance."

"A chance?" Harry asked distractedly, his grip tight around his wand as he edged towards the closest door only a few feet to his left, not sure what was behind it.

"Yes. To talk with you."

The unexpected words froze the wizard in place. "To talk with me?" he asked. He stared at the man incredulously. "Is that what you call this?"

The man dipped his chin in a polite nod and let out a soft laugh. "You'll have to forgive me, I do not interact with... wizards... on a regular basis. I know I can come across..."

" _Psychotic_?" Harry blurted angrily as he remembered where he'd seen the man, the vampire, before. "You bit Draco Malfoy, didn't you? You're the reason he's a vampire."

The man nodded faintly. "Regrettably. I had no intention of doing so, but he was too much of a temptation. It was either change him or let him die by the time I regained control." He paused then. "I thought the former better - at the time. I would have taken you then to talk, but the giant beast showed up, and I was forced to delay our conversation."

Harry's jaw clenched. "I'm leaving here, and you can't stop me."

The vampire held his hands up, palms out, in acquiescence. "I understand, and I promise I will not try to stop you... if you would just listen to what I have to say first."

Harry blinked a few times. "Why would I do that? After everything you did to me, after what you did to Draco, why would I do _anything_ for you?" He held his wand up higher, his expression hardening as his thoughts darkened.

"Because,"—the vampire paused, meeting his gaze evenly—"I've been waiting for you for three hundred years now, and I can help you. You and Draco Malfoy both."


	30. Chapter 30

Harry's wand lowered slightly. "Help Draco...?" he asked cautiously. "What do you mean by that?"

The tall vampire motioned to a pair of black leather chairs situated on the opposite side of the expansive room that were centered in front of a cluster of arched, curtain-covered windows. "Sit with me?"

Harry stiffened. "No, just tell me what you mean."

The vampire shot him a mildly amused look. "Very well. I can make it so you and - Draco Malfoy - do not have to be bonded. I know of a way out, a way to release you of your obligation, and a way to stop the young vampire's _pain_."

Harry started to respond sharply, but then hesitated. "...Pain?"

"Yes. You see, having an intended but not being bonded to them is... quite painful." The man paused and took a step back, putting more space between them. "I'm sure you know that though, it's common knowledge amongst wizards."

Harry frowned, the tip of his wand lowering further as guilt niggled at his chest. He had known that, but he'd conveniently never thought on it, of how Draco must'd been feeling the past few months, even after they'd both admitted to having intense _feelings_ towards the other. What had been holding him back? Had he been worried Draco would pounce at the offer... or had he been more worried he wouldn't? He'd never actually asked Harry to become his mate, after all.

The wizard shook the disconcerting thoughts away firmly, refocusing on the vampire before him. He just needed to get out of wherever he was—a castle, by the looks of the room he was currently standing in—and back to Hogwarts, and Draco. _Draco_. He had to know he was missing by now, Ron and Hermione too, and the thought of worrying them made it harder to breathe. "But we are," he spoke up, curtly, "bonded now, that is. We mated the other day." He frowned slightly, not sure how long he'd actually been gone. He shot a glance around the high-ceilinged stone room, all the drapes wrapped tightly over their respective windows, not able to tell if it was morning or night.

"No. No, you _definitely_ did not," was said less smoothly, and the vampire took another step back for some reason, his posture visibly tensing, "I would know."

Harry glanced again at the nearby door just within reach, still not certain it wasn't a closet or bathroom, because his captor didn't seem the least bit worried over his proximity to it, and then the man's words processed fully, dividing his attention once more. "And how would you know that...?"

"Simple." The vampire lowered down into one of the chairs he'd offered only moments before, crossing his legs as he appeared to make himself more comfortable. He deftly unfastened the top two buttons of his black shirt, loosening his collar, but his gaze remained focused solely on Harry. "Because you are my intended as well. I would know if you were already mated, Harry. You are not, which means one of you _clearly_ does not want it."

Harry's wand arm fell unnoticed to hang at his side. "You're lying."

"Am I?" the vampire asked, arched brows lifting questioningly. "Does it feel like Draco Malfoy is your mate? Can you sense his presence right now? When one is bonded, they are never _truly_ alone."

Harry looked over the vampire's shoulder, focusing on blood red curtains, searching for the answer he already knew, hoping he was wrong. It hadn't felt like it had taken, he'd known that somehow. Draco's repeated words of regret after the incident ran through his mind unwanted along with the memory of an unexpected tingling he'd felt when the wound had re-sealed without a mark.

After a long moment he met rich brown eyes. "How can you help us.. him?" he asked, hesitantly.

"Sit with me," was said again. "I promise, I won't bite." Red lips curled up slightly.

Harry found himself walking over, and he settled into the chair across from the dark-haired vampire despite his better judgement, his wand still ready in his hand. "Don't try anything," he warned.

The vampire smiled fully at that, exposing sharp white canines. "Why would I wait to try something once you're wide awake and with your wand?"

Harry frowned, leaning back in the chair. "How can you help?"

"Easy." The vampire eyed him levelly. "Mate with me, it will solve all your problems."

Harry started to push himself up—

" _Wait_ ," was said sharply, and Harry paused, shooting the suddenly standing vampire, who was hovering over him, a warning glare, his hand tightening around his wand. The vampire took a step back. "My apologies. You have to... understand... that _every_ time you try to leave it upsets me greatly. It is the nature of all this."

Harry blinked at that, his grip on his wand unwavering, and he watched the raven-haired vampire settle back into his chair carefully, his expression almost appearing pained by the action, and he thought of Draco, and all the times he'd left him without a second thought. "I'm sorry. But I will have to, at some point..."

The vampire closed his eyes and let out a dry laugh. "I know. But until then."

"'Til then," Harry said quietly with a faint nod, finding himself studying the vampire dressed in all black sitting before him. He was about the same height as Draco but not as slim, he had more muscle. His ebony hair was shorter than the Slytherin's, more the length of Harry's, but it was silky and neatly framed his face. He had classically handsome features, more refined than his own. Rich brown eyes opened, catching his studying gaze, and he noted a goldish-red hint to them as they slowly intensified.

And he remembered something then that should have gotten more of a response from him. He swallowed around a sudden lump. "I'm your intended too?" he asked, his words coming out hoarsely, the implications suddenly bouncing around angrily in his head. He hoped Draco didn't come looking for him.

The vampire nodded slowly. "Yes. Can't you _feel_ it? The connection we have?"

Harry looked down, something itching in his chest that made him want to concede, and he realized it was what he'd first felt towards Draco just after his change, a draw. He cleared his throat. It wasn't the same, he and Draco were more than that now, much more than some intended coupling, he was certain. "Is this what you wanted, in the Forbidden Forest too?" he asked tightly.

"It's what I've wanted for the last three centuries," was said back quietly, "I just did not know it was you until you were born. I waited patiently while you grew, until you were of age."

Harry nodded, looking up into swirling brown eyes again. "And this is how you want to help me and Draco, by coming between us?"

"Like I said Harry, I have been waiting a long time, and you two are not bonded yet, which means _one_ of you doesn't want it. I don't believe it's you, I can feel your unsettledness." Harry said nothing. "If you accept my offer I can help you forget him, and I can remove Draco Malfoy's discomfort, give him his free choice back, which he so clearly wants. Everyone is happy."

"What about you?" Harry asked, confusion muddying his thoughts. "What about your free choice?"

"It's too late for me, I'm afraid, it's been too late for a long time. This is all I want now."

* * *

Draco stood at the edge of a forest, looking up at a castle, approximately two-thirds the size of Hogwarts, situated strategically atop a cleared hill with beige stones and blood-red shingles.

The sun was setting behind the line of trees flanking him, the wards before him strong and numerous, even the yellow tracking trail stopping at its border. He breathed in slowly, the chill air filled with many scents, but one was singled out with certainty. Harry was in there.


	31. Chapter 31

"I have to talk to Draco first."

The dying embers of a fire crackled softly, its heat no longer felt, as a heavy silence followed the statement.

"I wouldn't advise that," was finally said, slowly but with a tension that could not be hidden, "he might get upset and try-"

"I talk to him first, or I won't consider any sort of deal," Harry said shortly, still sitting in the seat across from the raven-haired vampire named Blandus. An ignored silver cup filled with water and an untouched covered plate sat on the table beside the wizard.

He held his wand tightly, poorly ignoring the ache in his chest that had taken up residence ever since it had settled fully in his mind that Draco actually might not want to be with him. Despite his not wanting to believe it, it made sense, added up even. He'd been thinking the same thing not days before... After all, he'd never asked Harry to mate, just warned him of it, and he was constantly trying to put space between them; like when he'd ignored him for almost two weeks after they'd had sex without explanation, and there hadn't been a repeat of the intimate action either. Maybe he _was_ fighting it...

"Yes, I understand but perhaps a letter-"

"No. I have to talk to him in person," he said more forcefully, not sure what he was expecting. Did he really think Draco wouldn't jump at the prospect of not being forced to be with someone? Not that he blamed the blond either way. Would he, if he were in Draco's position, want to feel like he _had_ to be with Draco? Like he had no other choice? Even if he did love him, couldn't it still be unpleasant?

He scrubbed at wild black locks in agitation, the aching in his chest intensifying. He just needed to see him and work all this out. He hesitated. Was it possible he just wanted to talk to Draco so badly, because he thought he wouldn't be able to fight it despite what he might actually want? Draco didn't seem to be able to control himself very well in his presence. Was he being selfish? He shoved the thought away; no, Draco at least deserved being told in person if he decided to end things with him, even if it was purely for the blond's benefit.

He tugged at mussed locks, resisting the urge to glance up at the dark-haired vampire sitting across from him. He really didn't know anything about him, other than the fact that he'd turned Draco and abducted him, mating with him wasn't the most appealing idea, but he'd never heard of any alternative to breaking a vampire bond. He was sure Hermione would have mentioned it if so. He'd need to talk to her too.

"All right... If you must, then I understand," was said in a silky smooth voice, interrupting Harry's jumbled thoughts. The dark-haired vampire leaned forward then, towards him, his right knee only inches short of Harry's left, and he seemed to study the small space between them. "Would you like for me to come with you, Harry?"

" _No_ ," Harry said immediately, shooting the vampire a sharp look. "No, absolutely not. I'll talk to him alone once I get back to Hogwarts and then contact you by owl."

The tall vampire sat upright abruptly, not responding, as he turned his head towards the wall of windows slowly, and he breathed in deeply as Harry watched him in a growing wary confusion, his eyes closing. "That won't be necessary." Blood red lips curled up on one side in what looked a snarl. "He's here now."

Harry's gaze shot up to the set of tall curtained windows just in front of him. "He is? _Where_?" He started to push up when a hand settled on his knee unexpectedly, stopping him.

"Just outside the wards of the castle near the forest," the vampire said quietly in a tight voice, and then he looked down where they were touching, and the side of his thumb began to trace along the inside of Harry's knee ever so gently. "Promise me you'll be careful."

Harry cleared his throat, shifting away from the vampire's touch and drawing up the focus of an intense copper gaze framed by short ebony locks. He blinked a few times, his thoughts suddenly feeling like mush, and he didn't know if he _should_ leave. He closed his eyes and tried to shake the unwelcome feeling even as phantom fingers caressed his leg, the skin tingling under his pants leg. What was wrong with him?

"Our bond is growing, I knew it would if we had more time together. You see, the longer the bond has been intact the stronger it is, and it's strengthened by proximity. You were meant for _me_ , Harry. Let Draco go."

Harry tried to swallow, his throat too dry, his gaze flitting around the room. "Where can I talk to him?" he forced out.

"I'll show you," was said smoothly, and then Harry looked up when a pale hand was offered. He placed his in it hesitantly, fingers wrapping around his hand immediately, and he was pulled up to find himself looking at rich brown eyes up close along with blood-red lips.

"Okay," he said roughly, his wand by his side. Then a pale index began to trace along his cheekbone, and he turned away, fighting the growing urge to lean into it. "Take me now, or I'm leaving on my own."

"I'll take you," was murmured in a deep voice, and the vampire shifted closer, "but first, just one thing. A kiss, it's all I ask, in case I never see you again."

Harry shook his head minutely when it tried to nod. "No. Not until I've talked to him." Lips grazed the skin just beside his lips, and he resisted turning to meet them just barely.

"I want you so much, Harry, you can't even begin to understand," was husked.

The dark-haired wizard shuddered. "Take me now." A cool puff brushed his cheek, and he felt heavy thoughts lighten in response. He flexed his jaw.

"Will you come back to me?"

Harry held back a 'yes,' not able force out a 'no.'

"I can't lose you again."

Harry clenched unfocused green eyes shut as lips grazed over his in a soft passing touch, and he couldn't pull away. "I just, I need to talk to him," he said even as the vampire crept closer, carefully pulling him into an embrace.

"Just this first, it's important," was whispered, and then his mouth pressed to his tenderly.

* * *

Draco stood, the tall platinum blond flicking through every possible charm to bring down the magical barrier before him discreetly, forcing his mind to stay clear, his instincts fighting him and muscles burning from exertion. He needed to stay calm and be careful if he was going to assure Harry's safety. He only had one more vial of potion, and he didn't know what condition the powerful wizard was in if he'd been brought here against his will. His wand shot up then seemingly on its own. He'd just blast it down.

"Draco..."

Draco spun around to find the wizard standing before him. " _Harry,_ you're okay," he said at once as he pulled the dark-haired wizard into his arms, not having sensed his approach for some reason. He'd thought something terrible had happened, he'd been so worried, but he was here, in his arms. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened—"

"No, no I'm fine."

" _Oh Salazar._ " Draco closed his eyes, relief flooding his chest, as arms he adored wrapped around him in return, not noticing the hesitance, and he leaned down, nuzzling against the warm skin just above his hood. A current passed through them, and he drew in a sharp inhale at the needed touch, breathing in Harry's scent deeply and fully. He froze.

"Draco, I need to talk to you... about something," Harry said as Draco's shoulders began to tense under his arms. "It's important. Did you come alone, or are Blaise and Pansy somewhere nearby?"

Draco felt the muscles in his upper back, neck and jaw begin to tighten one-by-one, and he carefully removed his hands from the Gryffindor when his gaze began to darken. He noted the wizard's unsure expression, and he forced himself not to jump to conclusions even as a part of his mind disagreed vehemently, and he took a small step back. He spoke up, his words tight. "They came, so did Weasley and Granger. They're a while away..." and then, "What is it?"

Harry's expression widened in surprise, but then he nodded jerkily, his hand running up to scrub roughly at his hair as he eyed the forest only yards away, a chill breeze ruffling at his clothes, the morning sun hiding behind a ceiling of thick grey clouds. "First, I should tell you, something.

"We're not mated."

Draco blinked once. "We're not?" The question sounding more like a statement.

The wizard shook his head. "No, it didn't take. But that's not, not what I wanted to talk to you about, I mean, not exactly, but it's related." He paused, meeting the blond's quiet gaze and something that felt suspiciously like pain shot up through his chest. He cleared his throat and tried to force out the next set of words. "I just-" He looked down.

"What is it, Harry?" Draco asked, everything quieting around the tall blond as he watched the wizard before him shift from foot to foot, and he resisted pushing for details about what all had happened to him, and where the person was who'd taken him as he waited.

Unsure green eyes turned up, meeting quiet grey. He spoke up. "Do you actually want to be with me, I mean, outside of the whole mating impulse?"

Draco's expression didn't change.

"I mean," Harry pressed on, "if I wasn't your intended, if you didn't feel the need to be with me, would you still want this?" he asked, motioning between them in agitation. "Or would you rather just have your free will back?"

Draco eyed Harry carefully, watching him as he began to fidget even more before reaching out, his hands settling gently on the wizard's arms, stilling him. "What are you talking about? Are you feeling okay?"

Harry shook his head, and closed his eyes, his jaw flexing. "Just answer the question."

Draco wet his lips and shifted closer. "Harry," he said softly, and the wizard looked up, appearing surprised at his tone, "I want to be with you, I thought I made that clear."

Harry shook his head faintly in response, his expression torn. "Yeah, well evidently not, because the mating didn't take, and there's only one reason for that."

"Oh really?" Draco swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. "And why's that?"

"Because one of us doesn't want it." Harry started to pull away, but pale fingers tightened their grip.

Draco let out a slow breath, an unpleasant feeling flooding his core and making it hard to think. "What are you trying to say?"

Harry looked over his shoulder at the castle. "I'm saying that you could be free of our bond. There's a way out."

The blond vampire stood perfectly still, his muscles trying to flex, wanting to take action. He followed the wizard's gaze.

"I could mate with someone else, and you'd be able to walk away."

Draco's hands dropped as something unwanted began to rush in his chest, making it hard to breathe, his control dwindling, and he took a deliberate step back. "Mate with someone else?" he asked sharply, his words echoing weirdly in his head, anger suddenly taking over. " _Who_?"

"Me."


	32. Chapter 32

Stormy grey eyes cut sharply to the source of the infuriating voice. Draco's jaw muscles clenched, red lips pulling back in a snarl to reveal lethal canines as he took a step towards the shadowed-figure standing a few feet inside the forest. He could see him clearly. " _You_ ," he said in a barely-controlled voice, instinct quickening his pulse and fueling his muscles as they coiled in anticipation.

"Yes, we meet again, unfortunately the circumstances aren't quite so _pleasing_ this time," was said teasingly.

Draco took an angry step forward, towards the vampire who'd turned him, who'd taken so much from him, whose scent was _all_ over Harry— _he'd kill him_ —and a hand grabbed his arm from behind.

" _No_ , Draco, please don't," Harry said quietly, and then his wand shot up, pointing angrily at the tall figure, who had begun to slowly creep towards them as he held Draco in place beside him. "You said you'd leave me to talk with him. That was the _deal_."

The vampire stopped at that, a few yards still between them. He broke into an apologetic smile, directed solely at the Gryffindor, and then he began to unbutton the cuffs of his shirt lazily as he nodded. "Yes," he said, glancing in a seemingly solicitous fashion between the wand-brandishing wizard and the blond vampire. "I did, but that was, before..."

" _Before_?" Harry asked sharply - not noticing Draco's darkening gaze shifting back to him in surprise as he spoke to his once-captor - the Gryffindor's pitch dark brows pulling down in frustration when he received no immediate response. "Before what?" he demanded.

The man deliberately pushed up the black sleeves of his shirt, first left then right, to reveal pale, muscular forearms, a glimpse of black rune-like tattoos running along their undersides from wrist to elbow before answering Harry in a polite but strained voice, "Before I sensed you were in danger, your... potential mate _..._ he is _quite_ volatile **.** Our bond would not allow me to stay away and not protect you."

"No, you're _wrong,"_ Harry bit out heatedly, "Draco would _never_ hurt me," and Draco forced his feet back a step, his body suddenly feeling like a live current as he restrained from using his full strength to pull free from Harry and attack the lying vampire, whose smile was only growing as he watched them together with an oddly expectant expression, and then without warning... something started to _shift_ inside him.

The dark-haired vampire lifted his hands, palms out, in an appeasing gesture to the indignant wizard, the odd markings on full display. "Of course not, Harry, but vampires are very emotionally driven, and he is still so young. I do not mean it is his fault, the thought of losing one's intended affects one of our kind very strongly." Then copper eyes focused fully on midnight grey, and they narrowed, flashing a deep crimson. "Isn't that right, _Draco_?"

Draco let out a breath of air, his lungs suddenly too tight, like something was snaking around them, the other vampire's gaze suffocating, the odd sensation like it was somehow draining him with each passing second slowly coming over him. He spoke quietly as his entire body began to tingle and his mind started to feel like it was swimming in something thick, sinking. "Harry." Draco paused, he blinked a few times rapidly when a feeling of dizziness tried to take over his mind, before continuing, "listen to me, you can't tr-"

"Mind your manners, Draco," the taller vampire said in a chiding tone, brown eyes flashing a deep red again for only a split-second, "Harry and I are only having a conversation, I'm not here to fight you." He cocked his head slowly then before adding, a soft smile in his voice, "Are you feeling quite all right? You look... ill..." His smile grew.

Draco felt a growl rumble in his chest even as his muscles began to shake, and he was moving forward again when the hand on his arm tightened. "No Draco, don't," Harry said evenly, his grip tightening around the wand still pointed directly at the other vampire. "We're going to go now, Blandus," he said with an air of authority, tugging on Draco gently to put more space between them and the dark-haired vampire so they could disapparate safely, and the blond stumbled back a step. Harry shot him a concerned look-

"Are you now?" Blandus asked, drawing back Harry's attention. He smiled at him warmly. "Is that what you really want, Harry?"

Harry felt his feet stop against his will. He hesitated, not able to look away from unblinking warm brown orbs, and he struggled to answer, to say yes. He did, he _knew_ he did, he'd just wanted nothing more than to get away with the blond safely by his side. "I..."

The tall vampire took a careful step forward, hands still up, and Harry gritted his teeth together, fighting the feelings that shouldn't be there. "Think about it. You don't have to leave, you could stay here with me. Just you and me. _Forever_. Isn't that what you want?" He nodded slowly then, and Harry felt himself faintly mimicking the action in agreement. The dark-haired man wet his lips. "Then let Draco go, it's for the best."

Harry felt a huff of air escape his lungs, his thoughts not sounding like his own. "I..." His wand began to waver. He blinked hard and shook his head, and his grip tightened stubbornly on the blond beside him, not noticing when he swayed, stabilizing him unconsciously. He didn't want to lose Draco, he couldn't. There had to be another way-

"Harry..."

Green eyes flicked over immediately to find glazed grey ones looking down at him. "Draco, what's wrong?"

Draco shook his head and then stopped, his face turning impossibly pale, and his head dipped down, feeling too heavy and too light all at once; everything was spinning. His eyes slid shut, they were so tired. He felt a soothing hand on his neck, and he let out an oddly hot breath as a surge of energy jolted through him just enough to keep him from falling over. He swayed. Something was wrong. "Harry, I'm so sorry."

"Draco? _Draco, are you okay?_ "

Another hand was on his neck, and there was another jolt, but he barely felt it. The blond smiled softly, lips too tired. He was so tired, but he needed to tell him first. He felt his head drop further, and fast, warm puffs of air were brushing his chin and lower lip, feeling almost cool in comparison to his own body's increasing temperature. "I'm sorry you thought I didn't want to be with you, I did, _do_ ," he said in a rough whisper against the wizard's cheek, "I love you, Harry. So much. Mating or not - I was just... just scared that...-" Draco barely felt himself begin to fall, and then arms were wrapping around him, and lowering him carefully, the ground cold.

"I have to say, I'm impressed," was said in a silky, smug voice Draco couldn't place any longer as his mind and body continued to slow down, to feel numb, "he was an exceptionally powerful vampire to have lasted so long, even with your aid. It's a shame really."

"What'd you do to him?" was shouted, and Draco felt his heart start to beat irregularly. Hands were on his face, and he felt another stronger jolt, but it wasn't enough. "Draco? _Draco, can you hear m_ e?"

Draco tried to speak, and then everything went black.


	33. Chapter 33

"Draco? _Draco, can you hear me?_ " Harry asked, eyes wide, heart pumping like he was running, his wand abandoned in the grass by his side, and he gritted his teeth and forced another jolt to pass from his hands to Draco, the blond's eyelids fluttering in response but not opening as he remained otherwise motionless on the ground. "It's not working, why isn't it working, what's _wrong_ with him?" His vision swung up to pin the dark-haired vampire, standing only a few feet away, with a deadly glare. "What's wrong with him!" he shouted. "What did you do?!"

The tall vampire didn't quite hold back a look of satisfaction. "What needed to be done for us to be together, Harry. Don't worry, once we mate you will forget all about-"

"Are you insane?!" Harry shouted, grabbing his wand as he jumped up, his magic crackling at his fingertips furiously. "Fix this, undo it, _whatever_ you need to do, or I _will_ figure out a way to kill you!"

"I doubt that."

Green eyes hardened, and Harry took a step forward, his wand beginning to hum as it anticipated a spell. "I have fought stronger than you. Fix. Him. Now."

The vampire studied him, his expression slowly growing more wary. "Listen Ha-"

" _Now_."

Blandus shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry, I can't do that, he needs to die."

Harry felt a roar escape his lungs, and he twisted his wand, a white light surging from its tip and shooting forward, hitting the surprised vampire squarely in the chest, and blasting him back and up into the air, throwing him into a giant tree that creaked on impact, and then he fell to the ground in a heap.

The wizard sank back down then, a still Draco looking more pallor by the second. He stared down at him, feeling useless, as he watched his chest slow with each shallow breath. First his parents, then Sirius, and Dumbledore and Remus, now—"No." He blinked rapidly, forcing away the terrifying thought, eyes burning as he struggled with what to do. He couldn't travel with him in this condition, and he didn't know how close Hermione and the rest were, or if they'd even be of help. " _Shit_." He pulled open the blond's jacket with a single tug, some of the buttons popping off, and then began to undo his white shirt underneath in a hurry. He spread it open to find a barely rising chest, and he carefully set both his hands on Draco's torso, splaying them to cover as much skin as possible, his right finding a weak heartbeat beneath.

Then he closed his eyes, and he focused on giving Draco all his life magic. 

* * *

Draco sat up with a start, like he'd been shocked. He looked around in confusion, finding unfamiliar trees, his brain buzzing, not working - then he noticed the wizard lying on the ground beside him - and it all came flooding back. " _Harry_." The blond leaned over the wizard, who was lying curled up on his side, not noticing his shirt gaping open, and he shook him gently, the wild-haired wizard unresponsive. He found a slow but strong pulse on the wizard's neck and let out a held breath. He pushed himself up, warily scanning the area, as he tried to gauge if he was well enough to apparate them.

"You're alive." The words unhappy.

Black overtook grey, and darkened orbs turned slowly to land on a dark-haired vampire yards away once more, and then Draco was standing with his left hand wrapped firmly around the vampire's throat a split-second later, his right stabbing his wand into the man's chest as he shoved him into the trunk of an ancient fir. "This ends now," he growled.

"Don't!" the vampire cried out, holding his hands up in acquiescence, not trying to fight back. "If you kill me now, Harry will die!"

Draco's hand tightened, and he snarled, "Do you take me for a _fool_?"

"It's the _truth_ ," the vampire insisted, his breaths ragged. "Our bond is keeping him alive right now, I feel him drawing from me, ever since he saved you. I wouldn't lie about this."

The blond swallowed hard, the words sounding too genuine to dismiss. "Why?" he asked quietly. "He's immortal..."

Copper eyes closed, a pained expression distorting the vampire's features. "Because I offered it." Draco said nothing, and Blandus spoke up again, his words slow and filled with emotion. "One does not venture to the land of the unliving and come back unscathed, I felt it the first time, during the final war, and I couldn't let it happen to him again. He left and then came back somehow, he's been suffering greatly ever since." Golden brown eyes opened then, a haunted expression swimming in them. "Until he found you," then more softly, "I felt that too..."

Draco stood silently.

"His suffering, it lessened then, but you didn't mate with him to remove it completely," the vampire continued on, "I thought you didn't want it, didn't want this existence. I never meant to change you, to impose this on someone else. I thought if I could just get him, mate with him, everything would fix itself."

"You tried to kill me," Draco said flatly even as his mind reeled. He shot a glance over at Harry, the wizard looking like he was sleeping. His grip began to tighten again. "You were going to kill me and take him."

"And what will you do?" was hissed back angrily, "We're vampires. We kill and feed and take what we want. Blood. Mates. _It's what we are._ "

Draco clenched his jaw as a part of him jumped to agree, wanting to finish him off and do just that. " _No_. I'm not like that," he gritted out, his body disagreeing viciously as his grip continued to tighten, the urge to kill his competition only growing. "I care about Harry."

"Then prove it. Let me go. If you kill me, he'll have to go back. And he might not return this time. All I ask is that when he does awake we let him choose between us, because I _can_ help him, but it will weaken me, and I will not be able to fight."

Draco felt his hand begin to loosen its hold, and then it dropped, his wand still pressed sharply to the man's chest. "Then help him."

* * *

Draco sat in a black leather-upholstered chair just feet away from a sleeping Harry. The wizard was lying on his back, white sheets pulled up to cover his bare chest that was rising and falling rhythmically, the light from the moon outside casting a silvery hue across the stone floors and a closed wooden door. "Why isn't he waking up?"

"He will soon."

The tall blond shifted in his seat, resisting the urge to get up and pace.

"How many times have you drank from him?"

Grey eyes stared straight ahead, narrowing.

"I noticed the marks when he was brought to me."

Draco's hands balled into fists.

"It strengthens the bond is why I ask."

Draco turned his gaze finally, to see the dark-haired vampire leaning back in a matching chair, looking like he couldn't sit up easily, the backs of his hands still marked with black tattoos he'd used to increase the transfer of his life magic to Harry, so he'd have enough to recover. "Several times."

Blandus nodded, a faraway look slowly taking over his features. "He is a generous wizard to have allowed that."

Draco turned his attention back to the unconscious wizard, some feeling twisting in his gut as he thought on what was about to happen. He might lose him. "Harry's a good person," he said quietly, "Generous, kind, loyal, selfless. He'd do anything to help someone else out."

"How long have you known him?"

Draco tilted his head to the side slightly. "I met him when I was eleven, but I knew of him well before. My parents had talked about him. How he'd stopped the 'Dark Lord' as a baby."

"You were friends in school then?"

Draco laughed at that. "No. Enemies would be a more apt word. Harry hated me from the second we met."

The vampire hummed at that. "And you?"

"I was in awe of him to be truthful," Draco said with a nostalgic grin. "He didn't want anything to do with me though, preferred his Gryffindor friends, who I couldn't stand to even look at. He had the worst temper too, I used to get a kick out of upsetting him."

"So you were at complete odds until I changed you?" was asked in a slower voice.

"No," Draco said, "Not really. During the war, we saved each other's lives... even though we were on opposite sides..."

"You two have quite the past."

Draco shrugged, studying Harry intently as he shifted around some before calming back down, green eyes remaining firmly shut. An unwanted realization began to creep over the blond, tinting his thoughts. "Why do you think you have a chance?"

"Time."

Draco's gaze flicked over to find the vampire, resting his head on the back of the chair as he stared up at the ceiling. "Time?"

He turned his head, not lifting it, and he smiled wryly. "Yes, it's all I have. I can only hope it will be enough. Unless, you'd be willing to share, that is..."

Draco lifted one platinum brow. "Not for a second."

Blandus let out a quiet laugh, rolling his head back to center, studying the arched stone ceiling once more. "I didn't figure, not after what you said."

Draco watched Harry's fingers begin to twitch slightly on his right hand, irritation itching at his chest over the vampire having heard their conversation. "Do you think you could make him happy?"

There was a moment of silence. "I would do my best."

Draco nodded at that, and then green eyes were fluttering open, and he found himself standing.

"Draco?" Harry said hoarsely, sounding alarmed, and then two sets of eyes were peering down at him.

"I'm right here, Harry," the blond said quietly, and he resisted touching the wizard. He had an agreement with the other vampire, not until Harry had chosen. A hand reached up and brushed his hand, and his eyes fell shut at the contact.

"You're okay," Harry said, his rough voice filled with relief.

Draco nodded, moving back until the hand fell, and his chest ached at the loss. He met the wizard's questioning gaze, fighting the urge to move forward again. "How are you feeling?"

"Not great." Harry blinked a few times, and then he focused on the other person in the room. "What're you doing here?"

Blandus dipped his chin. "I understand you're upset with me, what I did was wrong. I apologize."

Harry considered telling the vampire to leave, but something tugged deep inside of him, and he pushed himself up into a sitting position instead, agitated, his hand coming up to palm his forehead when it throbbed as he tried to make sense of the situation, Draco sitting down by his side but keeping his distance. "What's going on?"

"We've agreed to let you choose between us - if you're willing."

Harry froze at Draco's statement. He lowered his hand and looked up slowly to find the blond with a neutral expression guarding his features. "Choose..."

"Yes."

Harry blinked a few times. He opened his mouth to do just that, but then he found himself stopping. "If I do, what will happen afterward?"

"You will mate, and the other will be released from the bond."

Harry hesitated at the dark-haired vampire's quiet words. "Immediately?"

Blandus sat down on the other side of Harry's legs. "It would be ideal."

Harry looked down at his lap, white silky sheets gathered in a pile, Draco's last words before he'd collapsed running through his frazzled mind over and over. And then after what seemed an eternity he looked up, meeting a light grey gaze, and he said in a tight voice, his words echoing in the large room: "Draco. I choose Draco."


	34. Chapter 34

Draco held Harry's hand in his as they passed through the wards, the castle behind them cloaked in darkness. He ran his thumb along the wizard's, not talking as Harry caught up with his two Gryffindor friends, Pansy and Blaise ahead of them, lighting the way. The four wizards had shown up just in time to see them walk out the front doors. After Harry had made his choice known, things had gone from tense to bordering unsafe. Blandus had suggested they leave and bond before his powers were back at full strength, a warning in his tone Draco had not missed. They had until sunrise at best, according to the older vampire.

"I'm so glad you're okay, but we should probably set up camp soon, you look like you could use the rest," Hermione said to Harry, a soft worry obvious in her tone as she looked the wizard up and down over and over. Harry nodded quietly in response.

"Camp around here, are you insane? What if that bloody vampire decides to come after us?" Ron said, his head swiveling as he searched the dark forest surrounding them in vain. "Why don't we just apparate back?"

Hermione stopped, the red-headed wizard following suit, her response hissed as Draco and Harry kept on. "Ron, you know _very_ well that Harry isn't in any condition to—"

The platinum blond felt Harry give his hand a small squeeze, and he ducked a little as they passed under a group of low-hanging ancient limbs, their view behind them slowly starting to look the same as the one in front of them as they moved deeper into the woods.

"What? I'm just saying—"

Draco stepped over an elevated root, and he felt Harry's shoulder brush against his. He looked over to find the wizard smiling at him, something in his gaze making Draco want to stop right there and kiss him. He dipped his chin and spoke in a private murmur, causing their shoulders to bump again as he leaned in, "Are you feeling okay?"

Harry nodded, glancing behind them in amusement at an arguing Hermione and Ron before looking back to him. "Yeah, just tired." He studied him then. "What about you?"

Draco forced a smile even as a tension rose in his chest. "I'm good." He wanted to say more, to talk about the wizard's choice, to ask him if he was sure, to check over him personally, because he couldn't shake the feeling that the wizard was hurt. To tell him how he felt again. He tilted his head, holding Harry's gaze and said, his smooth voice a little rough, "I'm just glad you're here."

Harry dipped his chin. "Yeah. So am I."

Then Blaise and Pansy stopped a few yards ahead of them at an opening amidst the dense trees, the moon above filtering down in silvery streams where the canopy was thinner, a small stream bubbling along its far edge.

"How's this?" Blaise asked, his gaze flicking between Harry and Draco in concern before turning to the other two wizards bringing up the rear.

"This looks good," Hermione said as she began to dig through the bag slung over her shoulder, and Ron stopped by her side with his hands stuffed in his pockets, not looking overly pleased. "We need to set up wards first." 

* * *

"I swear, it's true. Draco used to talk about him all the time, it was awful. 'Potter thinks he's so smart, everyone acts like he's _so great_. Blaise, do you think Potter is a better seeker than me, I mean if he didn't have that broom, and if I hadn't started a year later?'"

A round of laughter followed the statement.

"Yeah, well Harry used to stare at his name on this tracking map we had. I remember he'd just sit there in bed, eating chocolate and stare, for _hours_. He used to shout out 'Draco's gone here' or 'Draco's gone there' and expect us to care."

Hermione and Pansy giggled, Ron shaking his head and laughing a little despite himself as he and Blaise sat exchanging embarrassing stories about their best friends at a table covered with dishes of hot food, the four wizards getting on rather well.

Draco grinned, Harry by his side mirroring the amused expression more sheepishly. The two wizards were situated comfortably on a pile of oversized pillows together, an even mixture of silver and gold, just a few feet away from the rest of the group. They were inside a generous-sized tent with a large common area and three private bedrooms, lanterns hanging mid-air at each corner and dimly lit, two green and two red. He watched the wizard beside him lean over to put his half-finished plate on the floor with a groan, a nearby flame casting a soft greenish-glow on his wild raven locks.

"I can't eat anymore."

"Neither can I."

"Oh." Harry looked up, his expression startled, and he settled back in snugly beside the blond with a cup of pumpkin juice in his hand, their sides resting completely against the other's. "Sorry."

Draco rolled his eyes, but his lips curled up softly. "Don't be, I'm getting used to it."

"So tell us, Harry," Blaise spoke up loudly, his hands planted on the table as he shot the two wizards on the floor a knowing smirk, "are you two finally going to 'tie the knot' tonight, or what?"

Harry choked on his juice, and he coughed as he set his cup aside carefully, Draco glaring at his best friend. "Ah, I—"

"Blaise, that's none of your business," Draco said shortly.

"No. No, it's okay," Harry said around a final cough, and then he cleared his throat as Ron and Hermione looked over to him too, the Gryffindors not looking as surprised as Draco would've expected. "That's the plan," he said after a moment's pause, sounding sure and not nervous at all, and then he looked to the blond questioningly.

Draco nodded his assent with a dip of his chin, hiding his own shock, Blaise letting out a surprised laugh, and Pansy grinning widely by his side. A surge of excitement shot through Draco's veins, everywhere the wizard was touching him heating up as if on order. "Are you sure?" he asked quietly, his words only having to travel a few inches, his mind blocking out all other sounds inside the tent.

Harry swallowed hard, and he felt himself nodding. "Yeah, absolutely."

Draco blinked a few times, his pulse whooshing in his ears, and then he was taking Harry's hand and standing up, tugging the wizard along with him. "I need some air." He heard Harry tell the others they'd be back and not to worry as he made his way out of the tent, his heart speeding up with each beat, and then he felt cool air hit his face, and he was still walking.

"Draco, are you okay?" Harry asked, pulling the blond to a stop just steps away from the stream that marked one of the borders to their campsite.

Draco didn't respond, his sharp gaze scanning the dark woods for any movement before settling on the stream before them, Harry moving to his side. He watched the clear water run over and around greyish stones, the latter causing ripples in the otherwise smooth surface as they remained firmly embedded in the silty ground below. "I can't ask this of you," he said finally. He looked to Harry, the wizard's expression bemused. "To mate with me. Forever. _Harry_ ," he said, his voice taking on an unusual tint that toed the line of unhinged, "this would be _forever_. _No_ turning back. You would be bonded to me for eternity. How can you want that?"

Harry glanced around the space, a hand coming up to scrub at mussed locks. "Does that - does that sound bad to you?" he asked, sounding agitated.

Draco paused, thinking he'd misheard. He opened his mouth, then closed it.

Harry let out a heavy breath. "Listen Draco, I'm tired of worrying over all this, all I know is that I want to be with you, only you, no one else, and if this is how it works,"—Harry shook his head as he searched for what he wanted to say—"then great. It's — it's _bloody fantastic_."

Draco blinked. He lifted platinum brows, and the corners of his mouth began to twitch, a warmth flooding his chest, threatening to overflow. " _Bloody fantastic_..."

Harry rolled his eyes, visibly relaxing, and his lips quirked up. He shook his head again. "Shut up."

Draco felt his own lips follow suit as Harry moved closer, and he wrapped one hand around the back of his neck, pulling the dark-haired wizard in further so their lips were almost touching, and he felt fingertips brush his lower stomach. "I think it's bloody fantastic too," he said, the playful words puffing cool against the wizard's mouth, and Harry huffed a laugh. Then more softly as the air in his lungs expanded, making his breaths choppy, he said: "Do you want to turn in now?"

Harry's heart skipped a beat at the loaded question, and he found himself nodding. "Yeah, I'd like that."


	35. Chapter 35

"Hey, we were worried about you two," Ron said, backing up a step from the tent's entrance as Draco and Harry walked through, the red-head looking like he'd just been about to check on them. He glanced between them, an awkward expression crossing his features slowly before he continued solely to his best friend, "Everything, uh, all right there, mate?"

Harry nodded, swallowing around a lump as he stood beside the tall blond. Everyone in the room turned to look at them, and he cleared his throat to keep his voice from sounding too rough. "Yeah, just talking, that's all." Harry glanced over to Draco, the blond's shoulders visibly tense, but then he stretched his neck left and then right and let out a silent breath and relaxed. Harry smiled when he realized Draco had just resisted snapping at his best friend for blocking their path.

Ron frowned, glancing between the two wizards, and he started to speak up instead of moving.

"I bet you two are tired after the last couple days," Hermione cut in, walking over and shooting her boyfriend a pointed, sharp look.

Ron balked. "What, you just _told_ me to check on him."

" _Ronald_." Hermione widened her eyes at him in exasperation, Pansy and Blaise smirking as they stood up from the table.

"You know. I think Pansy and I are going to call it a night too," Blaise said with a sharkish grin, Pansy hooking her arm through his and walking along with him, appearing for all intents indifferent.

"Night Dray, night Harry," the Slytherin witch called over her shoulder with a lazy smile before walking into the shared room with the wizard.

Ron frowned, arms crossed, his expression clouding as he still stood directly in front of his best friend and Draco. "Are they... together?"

Hermione covered her mouth to smother a surprised laugh, and Draco let out a measured breath. "As together as two Slytherins can be," the blond said without any bite.

Ron's brows shot up at that, and Hermione giggled louder, and she tugged at her boyfriend, pulling him from the entryway and towards their own room. "Come on, Ron," she said with a laugh, and then, "We'll see you two in the morning. Be safe." Her last words heavy with meaning.

Harry replied in kind distractedly, his mind suddenly buzzing, as the blond beside him nodded politely. Then lips were near his ear.

"All right?"

Harry started a little, and he blinked rapidly, realizing it was just the two of them in the common room. He looked into light grey eyes, and the air in his lungs quivered a little. "Oh yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Then a hand was taking his again, and they were walking towards their room.

* * *

"Was it difficult, you know, being nice to Ron out there?" Harry asked quietly, he and Draco standing just inside the closed curtain to their sound-proofed room. The dark-haired wizard fiddled with a piece of loose thread on Draco's open coat where a button used to be, the memory of why it had happened weighing heavily on pitch-dark brows and causing them to fall.

A bed that was basically just a really thick mattress on the ground, and which took up most of the space, was situated only a couple feet away.

"Incredibly so, actually," Draco said back just as quietly, his hands resting on the wizard's neck, and his right thumb began to caress Harry's cheek when the wizard cocked a small smile at his response. He found himself returning the expression and pointedly ignored the inviting pulse just a few inches lower and focused on the clearly upset wizard instead. He waited for him to say what was on his mind and was rewarded a few moments later.

"What did you mean, about Blaise and Pansy?" Harry hedged. "As together as two Slytherins _can_  be?"

There was a pregnant pause. "Harry, you are not a Slytherin."

Harry cracked a lopsided grin at that, the skin around green eyes crinkling a little on one side cutely. "No I know that."

Draco leaned in and placed a small kiss over it, and then he felt fingers start to work tentatively at undoing the buttons of his shirt, knuckles brushing his chest and then lower stomach as they progressed, making his eyelids fall to half mast and his breath to catch. "You and I. We are _definitely_  together."

Harry huffed a breath, relaxing, and his hands began to slide out across Draco's chest with more certainty until they were nudging his shirt and jacket over his shoulders and down his arms, and the blond helped, pulling them off all the way before Harry tugged his own hooded sweatshirt and the t-shirt beneath over his head and off in one fluid motion, leaving them both shirtless.

Draco felt his pulse start to pick up as he stood, looking down at the wizard before him, only a single, glowing gold-tinted light hanging over their bed they were to share and casting the wizard's nicely sculpted torso in soft shadows. Hands settled on his chest again and fingers brushed his collarbone, and he leaned in, resting his forehead against Harry's as his heart pounded demandingly. "Are you all right?"

Harry felt his eyes fall shut. "Yeah, just a long few days."

Draco wet suddenly dry lips, and warm hands began to skate down then, over his chest and along his stomach, and then they were undoing his slacks. He let out a silent breath and began to work on the wizard's for him in return, finishing a second later, and then he was stepping out of his slacks, Harry mirroring the action. He hooked his right index inside the wizard's black boxers and tugged him back toward him gently, leaning down until their noses were bumping, and he nuzzled into the touch before meeting the corner of upturned lips softly in a small caress. "Just tell me if you want to stop or slow down, okay?" he whispered even as his heart continued to pick up speed.

"Yeah, yeah, okay," Harry said, matching his tone around uneven breaths, and then their lips pressed together again, Draco tilting his head to the side as his mouth parted, and Harry wrapped his arms around his shoulders, and their tongues met.


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, okay, so I can't believe I'm posting the last chapter for this story. I still remember quite vividly when cathartic first asked me to write a Drarry, and I laughed at her, saying I could not do them any justice. I still do feel that way sometimes to be honest, but I had so much fun trying and know that the most worthwhile things are often the most difficult. I'd like to thank all of you who have supported this story, and therefore me through reading, following, favoriting, and/or reviewing over the past year and a half. It's a little sad to see this story come to an end, and I can only hope that you all have enjoyed reading it as much as I did sharing it with you! ^_^

Draco groaned as Harry pressed against him completely, their lower bodies meeting and the wizard's flavor dancing over his taste buds, and then he was guiding the dark-haired wizard back towards the bed blindly, and they fell on it as one sideways. Their lips parted as they laughed and shifted more to the middle, messing soft sheets, both still in their boxers.

Draco tugged at the waist of black boxers, and Harry pushed them down in response, kicking them off the rest of the way once they were around his ankles, and then he shot Draco an expectant look.

The tall blond skated his own white boxers down over his hips and off his legs, and then he was leaning in again, a warm hand running down his arm and grasping his wrist as they began to kiss more heatedly, slowly moving closer and closer together until—" _Harry_ ," Draco breathed against the wizard's parted lips, their bodies touching intimately, the wizard's skin feeling hot pressed to his cool body, and he breathed in deeply, an intoxicating scent filling his senses. "Mmmm..." He was suddenly trailing down a solid jawline, his teeth coating with venom, and he tilted Harry's chin up, a sharp gasp marking the movement. "You smell... _so good_ ," he practically purred, and shifted even closer.

Harry felt the air escape his lungs all at once, his chin being held up with a pale thumb, and his heart beating a maddening pace inside his ribs. He was ready. He'd said he was ready. He'd reassured Draco he was ready. His hands braced against the wizard but didn't push, his breath catching inside his chest, as he felt lips suddenly on his neck, grazing down the side of it... until what felt like teeth points replaced them. Shit. Shit. _Shit_ —

"Harry," was husked against the wizard's neck, " _Breathe_."

Air whooshed into the wizard's lungs as if on command, and Harry was looking into dark grey eyes a second later as his heart danced around inside it like it was trying to escape. "Sorry."

Draco eyed him for a moment before saying, "It's okay," and then he was pressing his lips to his gently, meeting them over and over in small reassuring kisses, his hand sliding down from his neck, over his shoulder and down even further, until he was grasping the wizard's side, tone obliques flexing under the touch. And Harry rocked his hips forward and brushed fully against him.

A groan escaped red lips, and Draco pushed up onto hands and knees, situating himself overtop the wizard as he rolled onto his back simultaneously, and his chest rose and fell heavily as he shifted further down, placing himself between obliging legs. His teeth throbbed, and he closed his eyes, his right hand gently massaging the wizard's hip as he struggled to think around the growing single-minded impulse to mate, because he could tell Harry wasn't quite there.

"Here."

Grey eyes opened to find a tube being held out. Draco felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth, and he took it from a wide-eyed Harry. "Is this your way of asking me to shag you?" he said, teasing lightly.

Harry swallowed, his throat dry and unbelievably tight, and he ignored his unsureness with the blond above him only having tried to have sex with him once. "Yes," he said finally, his voice low and rough, "I need you inside me... I mean, if you want to, tonight, that is. It'd help."

Draco blinked, and then he was nodding numbly, surprised by the words. He undid the top and applied it liberally as he held the wizard's gaze, and then he was moving closer and gripping himself firmly as he lined himself up at the wizard's entrance. He pressed gently against the wizard, and Harry groaned, his eyes falling shut, and he pushed back, and Draco bit down on his lower lip when he almost dipped inside. The blond let out an unsteady breath. "Harry."

Green eyes opened. "Y-Yeah Draco?"

Draco smiled down at the wild-haired wizard, his chest rising and falling rapidly despite his not moving, and he waited for Harry to lift pitch-dark brows predictably. "I always want to," he said and then pressed forward until he was dipping in, slowly becoming enveloped in a tight, velvety warmth, and a groan rumbled deep in his chest.

"Fuck," Harry cursed around jagged breathing, his hands grabbing onto pale shoulders as Draco carefully worked his way in inch by inch, the warm sheets below him contrasting the cool body above him, and he pulled the blond down closer until a cool breath was brushing his face.

"Are you okay?"

Harry opened his eyes, not realizing they'd closed, and he found himself peering into glazed, grey orbs up close. He nodded tightly. "Yeah, are you?"

Draco nodded, the movement quiet as he held himself still so he didn't hurt the wizard beneath him, waiting for him to acclimate and relax some. He shifted his weight carefully to his right hand after a few moments and lifted his left. He began to trace his thumb along the wizard's jawline, ignoring the urge to move. He swallowed back some venom, the burning almost going unnoticed as he studied the wizard beneath him. He felt a jerking pulse when the pad of his thumb skated down further, and he left it there, meeting a vivid green gaze.

"You can move," Harry croaked, his heart running a mile a minute, feeling like it might explode. Then his chin fell back, and the wizard groaned lowly when pale hips began to rock against him, and he let out a gasp when the blond brushed the spot inside of him that made his eyes want to roll back.

Draco let out a shuddered breath as he began to move more, his hips beginning to pull back further with each thrust, and a low noise escaped his lips as hands slid down his sides and then gripped his lower back roughly, urging him on. He didn't know how he'd kept from doing this for so long with the wizard. Fingers dug into his back, and he began to thrust harder, Harry gasping louder each time and encouraging him. Not again though. Never again. Darkened grey eyes focused then on an arched neck, and Draco felt himself dipping down closer until he was breathing over a jumping pulse. He heard a sharp intake of air, and he kept his hips moving even as his tongue snuck out and greeted warm skin.

Harry groaned and arched his entire body into the touch, his needy body part pressing up against a cool muscular stomach that flexed each time Draco moved further inside of him. The blond began to place heated open-mouthed kisses over and around where he'd bitten on several occasions, and Harry gasped when he felt teeth points graze over the spot. "Oh Godric."

Draco felt a numbness slowly coat his teeth, and he began to thrust harder, his mouth not leaving the spot as his canines began to throb, waiting. Waiting. He wanted him to want it.

"Ah-h," Harry gasped, when the blond hit the spot inside of him again that made his mind turn to mush, and his hands moved up to grasp onto silky platinum locks instead, and he tried to take in a stabilizing breath but it was hit again. " _Fuck_."

And then the wizard began to feel a familiar tightening down low as he was pressed repeatedly between their stomachs, slick with excitement. " _Draco_ ," he said.

Draco rolled his hips forward again, angling them up, and pulled back just enough to say in a low, breathy voice, "Yeah, Harry?"

"I love you."

Draco smiled, a soft breath escaping him. "I love you too."

"I'm ready," was said huskily then. "Bite me. I want to be yours."

Draco felt his heart skip a beat, and then grey eyes flicked to pitch-black, and Draco's mouth latched onto Harry's throat.

Harry gasped at the feeling, and then a low, drawn-out groan fell from his lips when he felt teeth. He barely registered them sinking down and in, the touch shifting from icy cold to a toe-tingling heat instantly, and it began to creep inside of him, starting at the bite and spreading out, encapsulating his entire being from his head to his toes in a blissful blanket of warmth.

Draco's entire body was flooded with heat as he held the wizard pinned beneath him with his teeth, allowing the mating to take fully, and his hips began to move with more need. He groaned against the wizard's neck, when Harry pulled roughly on his hair, gasping and encouraging him to keep going.

Harry cursed, feeling like he might catch fire as talented hips pushed his body further and further towards a precipice. And then Draco thrusted in again fully, and Harry felt complete—like he and Draco were one—and Harry slipped off the edge, calling out Draco's name as he did, spilling onto the blond's perfect stomach, and he felt hips lose their rhythm, and he was being filled.

Draco waited, listening to his and Harry's hastened breaths for a few beats after both their bodies had stilled other than greedily rising chests, and then he began to slide his teeth out cautiously. He felt one last surge of mating venom run down them as he did, Harry sucking in a hiss of a breath at the same time, and then light grey eyes peered down to see the bite seal with the aid of the extra venom; a peace fell over the blond that made his muscles feel like putty, and he carefully pulled out of the wizard and dropped onto mussed sheets beside Harry, a heavy breath escaping him.

"It worked... right?" Harry asked, blinking rapidly as he stared at the tent's ceiling, feeling like he could sense the blond beside him even if he were to leave, like he was a part of him now.

"I'd say so," Draco said, and his lips curled up as he turned his head and met green eyes that meant the world to him, "Now you're stuck with me, Potter."

Harry let out a breath of a laugh, and he rolled onto his side, shifting closer until he was settling against the blond's shoulder. Draco's arm wrapped around him, pulling him even closer. The wild-haired wizard rested his head on the blond's chest, and he listened to the sound of his heart slowing as a pale hand gently began to graze up and down along his side, a feeling of pure contentment filling him.

"I think I can handle that," Harry murmured sleepily, and Draco hummed his assent.

-THE END-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please follow if you're interested in the Epilogue, and me as well if you're interested in my upcoming new Drarry. ^_^
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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